Elements of success－earth, fire and water

According to Shen, it is also the only archaeological site in China that witnesses the coexistence of bloomery iron and pig iron－two major types of ancient smelting techniques.

"Qingyang village is where one of the dedicated iron plants was set up by the Song government," he says. "The iron smelting industry here peaked in the 11th century."

Discovery of coins, a large amount of broken porcelain and ruins of residential buildings on the site may indicate a lasting period of prosperity in the metallurgy business here. Shen also explains that a complex transportation system via rivers also closely linked the mountainous region to the ocean.

"Together with Quanzhou's porcelain production bases, the Xiacaopu site shows the formidable capacity of basic industries in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan periods," he says. "It also demonstrates the positive effects of maritime trade on economic development in Quanzhou's hinterland at that time."

To this day, iron smelting in Anxi continues unabated. A form of handicraft that mixes rattan and iron, known as tengtie, is one of the county's pillar goods for export. The ancient smelting furnaces may have given way to modern steel mills, but it is perhaps how locals keep the historic memory fresh in a modern, artistic way.