Yue Kiln Celadon Firing Technique

The Yue kilns are a celebrated ancient Chinese celadon system, with kiln sites concentrated around Shaoxing, Yuyao, Cixi and Ningbo; Cixi's Shanglin Lake was the heartland, firing from the Eastern Han and flourishing under the Tang and Song, with its "secret-color" ware especially prized.

The firing technique spans dozens of steps, from clay selection, throwing and trimming to glazing and kiln-loading, all resting on the long-honed experience and touch of the potters to achieve a glaze as soft and lustrous as jade.

In 2011 the Yue kiln celadon firing technique (Cixi) entered the third batch of national ICH; Cixi falls under Ningbo, and Shanglin Lake is a key source of the maritime ceramic road.

The craft centers on the Shanglin Lake area of Cixi, whose Yue kiln site is hailed as an "open-air celadon museum."