China News Service, Jingdezhen, October 19th (Fu Liling) "Light the fire!" At 11:08 on the 19th, as the kiln-burning master Feng Heping shouted, the torch passed to the kiln entrance was thrown into the fire. The Yuan Dynasty steamed bun kiln rebuilt in the ancient kiln folk customs exhibition area in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province instantly burst into flames. Two tongues of flames rose into the sky from the top of the kiln. Onlookers cheered and the shutters sounded one after another.
This is the highlight of the series of ancient kiln activities during the 2026 China Jingdezhen International Ceramics Expo. It is also an important ceremony for the ancient kilns to demonstrate the value of world heritage in a living inheritance manner at this China Jingdezhen International Ceramics Expo after the "Jingdezhen Handmade Porcelain Remains" were included in the World Heritage List.
The ancient kiln on that day was very lively. At 9:30, a lion dance leaped in front of the tourist service center; at 10:00, two lions danced on eight stools, the sketch "Ode to the Ancient Kiln's Children", and the Taiping Kiln prayed for blessings took turns on the Tongbin Square; at 10:48, in front of the Fenghuo Immortal Master Temple, the kiln prodigy guest's sacrifice ceremony officially began. The representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage led a team to get fire and went to the entrance of the kiln, and tourists followed and took pictures.
Yang Jinsong, a tourist from Beijing, said: "This is not the first time I have visited an ancient kiln, but it is the first time I have seen the kiln gods worshiping and lighting the kiln fire so close. The moment the flames burst into flames, I was very shocked, and I deeply understood the weight of this folk ritual."
According to reports, the steamed bun kiln is one of the typical wood-fired porcelain kilns used in Jingdezhen during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The steamed bun kiln is a semi-inverted flame kiln, the firing temperature can be as high as 1300 degrees Celsius, and a reducing atmosphere can be formed. Through the continuous exploration of the kiln workers, the construction and firing techniques of Jingdezhen Mantou Kiln have reached the highest level of this type of kiln in the country, making outstanding contributions to the firing of various famous porcelains in Jingdezhen.
"This is the first porcelain expo after the 'Jingdezhen Handmade Porcelain Industry Remains' was successfully included in the World Heritage List. We are holding a re-firing activity of the traditional steamed bun kiln here to reflect the importance of the Jingdezhen Handmade Porcelain Industry Remains, a world heritage, with the authenticity and integrity of the intangible cultural heritage. "It is of great value and has special significance," said Zhou Ronglin, National Museum Research Librarian and Director of the Jingdezhen Ancient Kiln Culture Research Institute. The products to be refired include imitations of national treasure porcelain from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. After continuous firewood input and natural cooling, the kiln opening ceremony is expected to be held on October 22.
It is understood that since the concept of "past dynasties of porcelain kilns has been used to make porcelain capital for thousands of years, and series of re-firings to highlight Chinese civilization" was proposed in 2009, the ancient kilns have continued to implement a series of re-firing plans, reviving the porcelain-making kilns of the past dynasties through the reconstruction of wood-fired porcelain kilns and open and dark furnaces. On the same day, a large ceramic quiver and painted porcelain plates with the theme of commemorating the victory of the Anti-Japanese War were also fully completed and opened to the public on the "Red Porcelain Road" of the ancient kiln, where ceramic culture and red culture blended.
Zhang Caixia, a tourist from Malaysia, said: "I used to think that porcelain was exquisite and beautiful. Today, I personally added a handful of firewood and participated in it, and I can really feel the warmth of this inheritance. I am really lucky to catch up with the re-ignition of the steamed bun kiln after Jingdezhen was successfully added to the World Heritage List."
