Shiwan town, near the downtown area of Foshan, earned its reputation for being once the most important ceramic production centre in Chinese history and developed into its golden age in Ming and Qing Dynasty. Shiwan is believed to be the place where Foshan’s pottery art originated and the lovely Nan Feng Ancient Kiln Resort is situated in this area.
What earned the complex national flame are the two ancient Dragon Kilns - Kiln Gao & Kiln Nan Feng. Hence these two kilns, Nan Feng Ancient Kiln Resort have been listed in Guinness World Records for being the oldest dragon kiln amongst the existing 3 dragon kilns in China. Actually many Ming-Dynasty pottery you see in museums were created here.
Nan Feng Ancient Kiln are still operating and producing works even today which makes the resort a rare living cultural relic.
Tourists could have a fascinating experience of seeing how the pottery is created in Chinese traditional way. In fact, workmen are still producing pottery works by their bare hands. The workmen here are pottery masters because what they rely on is not modern apparatus but their experience. And since it is a wood burning kiln, the fire is unstable and could be influenced easily, so every piece of work here is unique even they come from the same kiln.
The resort provides pottery lessons for visitors who are interested in it and they are not for free. If you want, you can create a piece of pottery work by your own under the direction of skilled masters.
Location: NO.5 & 6, Gaomiao Road, Shiwan Town, Chancheng District, Foshan
Ticket Price: CNY 25
Opening Time: 08:30 – 17:30
Telephone: 0757-82661888; 0757-82261506
How to go: You may take Bus NO.109, 120, 137, G26 and other buses and get off at bus station Nan Feng Gu Zao.