Henan’s once vital base for Chinese ceramics

Ruzhou, Henan province, has a rich history, myriad cultural resources and many scenic attractions.

According to historians, people lived in Ruzhou as far back as 500,000 or 600,000 years ago. It is one of the birthplaces of the famous Yangshao and Longshan cultures.

A pottery jar unearthed in Ruzhou and painted with the pattern of a stork holding a fish in its mouth is the earliest and most complete painted earthenware in China. More than 6,000 years old, it was included in the first list of 64 relics forbidden to be taken outside China by the nation’s top cultural authority.

The Zhanggongxiang Kiln site in Ruzhou is the official kiln site of the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127) and at the time an important production base of Ru Ceramics.

Ru Ceramics were made from a type of porcelain favored by the Song Dynasty imperial family. Its development is important to the historic development of ceramics in China. The firing techniques to make Ru ceramics are a national intangible cultural heritage.

Ruzhou’s Ru Porcelain Museum is the only professional venue in China to collect and exhibit Ru porcelain. Many important and rare cultural relics reflecting the Yangshao and Longshan culture are on display here.

Ruzhou has many scenic and historic sites, including Fengxue Temple, Faxingsi Pagoda and Ruzhou Confucian Temple, all of which are national cultural heritage units under State protection.

Fengxue Temple, located at the southern foot of Songshan Mountain, has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is named among the four famous temples of the Central Plains, along with the White Horse Temple, Shaolin Temple and Xiangguo Temple.

The temple has the third largest pagoda group in China, with its Qizu Pagoda being the best preserved among the seven brick pagodas of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

?Ruzhou has unique geothermal resources, including hot springs characterized by high water quality and temperatures as well as rich minerals.

The fabulous landscape and picturesque scenery of Ruzhou make it a renowned tourist resort