Dīngshān

Introducing Dīngshān

Dīngshān is the pottery centre of Yíxīng County and has enjoyed that reputation since the Qin and Han dynasties; some of the scenes here, especially at the loading dock that leads into Lake Tai, are timeless.

Almost every local family is engaged in the manufacture of ceramics and at least half of the houses are made of the stuff. It’s extremely dusty here (and probably not recommended for people with respiratory problems). Everywhere you look vehicles are hauling rocks from the mountains outside of town.

Dīngshān, located about 20km south of Yíxīng town, has two dozen ceramics factories producing more than 2000 varieties of pottery – quite an output for a population of 100, 000. Among the products made here are the ceramic tables and garbage bins you’ll see around China, jars that are used to store oil and grain, the famed Yíxīng teapots, as well as glazed tiling and ceramic frescoes that are desperately needed as spare parts for tourist attractions – the Forbidden City in Běijīng is a customer. The ornamental rocks you see in Chinese gardens are also produced here.

Outside of Dīngshān, the Ceramics Museum (; Yíxīng Táocí Bówùguǎn; 150 Dingshan Beilu; admission Y20; 7.30am-4.30pm) displays examples of Yíxīng pottery from 6000 years ago to the present day. Nearby workshops have ceramic artisans at work.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009