Firing up the next generation

Green attraction

Since the porcelain was produced in Longquan during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), it has been widely used, becoming a household staple across the nation and also adored by royal families both at home and abroad.

Within the city of Longquan, more than 500 sites that used to be kiln clusters were discovered by archaeologists, a telling testimony of the prosperity of Longquan's celadon-glazed pottery industry.

The production of Longquan celadon reached its peak during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Many thousands of porcelain items bearing the famous green glaze were shipped to Southeast Asia, Europe and East Africa.

The name, celadon, is derived from a French novel L' Astree. The name of the story's protagonist is the shepherd Celadon, who wears a green cloak. His look became chic in 17th century Paris. At the time, the Longquan porcelain, which shared a similar color to the fictional hero's cloak, was popular among the upper class in France.

"The simple shape and jade-like color of the porcelain is a vivid demonstration of Chinese culture and aesthetics," says Liu Ying, director of the Celadon Museum in Longquan.