Keep cool—the ancient way!

The Song Dynasty’s poet, Yang Wanli, highly praised an iced creamed milk which was made from juice, milk and ice blocks. When Marco Polo came to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), he had a chance to taste the iced creamed milk, which was exclusively enjoyed by the royal court. Later, Marco Polo brought the technique of making iced creamed milk back to Italy, where it was kept secret for nearly 300 years. Then the French bought the technique at a high price. Later, it was introduced into United Kingdom and improved by the English men. The ice cream we eat today evolved from this delicious iced creamed milk.

Porcelain Pillows

Beside the methods mentioned above, ancient people also used porcelain pillows to relieve the summer heat.

China is noted for its porcelain, and the ancient Chinese not only used it to make bowls, plates and vases but also porcelain pillows. The surface of the porcelain pillow was glazed with enamel, making it smooth and cool. It is pleasant in hot summer to rest one’s head on the pillow to have a good sleep.

Porcelain pillows were originally made in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and were put into mass production after the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and they got popular during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Porcelain pillows were made in various shapes, delicate in quality and skillful in technique, among which the porcelain pillows of the Song Dynasty were most well-known for their artistic value. Cizhou kiln, Dangyangyu kiln and Dengfeng kiln were the three kilns that produced the most porcelain pillows in the Song Dynasty.

The baby-shaped pillow from Ding kiln of the Song Dynasty not only reflected the superb skills of craftsmen but also signified that the society of the Song Dynasty paid great attention to children. People of that time thought kids symbolized auspiciousness, and could bring happiness to the families and avoid evil things.

After the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), with the appearance of more suitable materials for making pillows, porcelain pillows gradually faded away from people’s daily life.