A 35-meter-long dragon kiln has surfaced in Fanchang county, Wuhu city, after an archaeological team put in a great deal of hard work. In this large scaled archaeological excavation that has been going on since 2002, a large quantity of precious porcelain has been found, much of which still looks bright.

On May 8, the excavation in Fanchang county was coming to a close. Ever since it was first discovered in the 1950s, the Fanchang kiln has gained a significant reputation. According to Luo Hu, the person in charge of the excavation, a 50-meter-long dragon kiln was discovered in the area from September to November, 2002, and was thus named the No.1 dragon kiln of Kejiangchong, Fanchang. The excavation of the second kiln was launched last November. The two “dragons” sit only a dozen meters away from each other, and are therefore expected to form a spectacular view.

Pieces of porcelain were everywhere to be seen around the site. While products produced in the Fanchang kiln date back to the Five Dynasties (907-960), this No.2 dragon kiln is estimated to have been built between the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty (the earlier Song Dynasty). In dragon kilns of this size, at least two thousand pieces of porcelain can be produced at the same time, though probably with a considerable defect rate.

In this excavation, about 160 unearthed porcelain pieces were in a restorable condition, most of which are daily articles such as bowls, plates, censers and inkstones. Due to the limited craftsmanship at that time, most of the unearthed articles contain a certain level of crackling, forming an unusual beauty for people today.

Dragon kilns are usually seen in ancient southern China. They were usually built on hills, winding down in the shape of a Chinese dragon.

Precious porcelain are found in Dragon kiln.

Fanchang kiln

Dragon kiln