With resplendent culture and picturesque landscapes, Hebei is part of the major birthplace of the civilization of the Chinese nation. Thousands of years of development have given birth to its rich and unique culture. It is, indeed, a culturally big province. It has eight items of intangible cultural heritage inscribed into UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and 163 items included in the national representative list of intangible culture heritage.
Hebei Bangzi, Yuxian Papper Cuts, Wuqiao Acrobatics, Taiji Shadow Boxing, Shadow Play, and Ding Kiln Firing technique... all these ICH items are no longer ancient craftsmanship and skills that have been pigeonholed. More and more such items have become part of the fiery life of the local people.
Ding (Zhou) Kiln porcelain firing started in the Tang Dynasty and thrived in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is so named because the place of origin -- Quyang county which was at the time under the administration of Dingzhou, Hebei province. The traditional firing technique of Ding porcelain is a local traditional handicraft technique in Hebei province. In 2008, "Ding Porcelain firing technique" was inscribed into the list of the second group of national intangible culture heritage. The firing procedure includes clay wedging, throwing, decoration (carving, cutting) glazing, glaze firing, and etc. This episode "Ding Porcelain Making" shows the beauty of Ding porcelain.
