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Shiwan Ceramics Factory

 Foshan Attractions

Shanhaiguan Great Wall

Introduction to Foshan Shiwan Artistic Ceramic Factory (石湾美术陶瓷厂)

Founded in 1956, for 40 years, from a small plant, now it has become a large modern enterprises that produces "Red Lion" brand products like ceramic art, ancient garden ceramics, split brick, tile, stone-brick, imitation of Western stoneware, and jade garden art tiles. It is the representative of the?Foshan?ceramics arts.

The abundant pottery relics excavated from the Dangqiu site at the Shiwan River cave were carved with rich geometric patterns and gave evidence that Shiwan pottery originated in the late Paleolithic age, over 5,000 years ago. The excavation of the kiln sites from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties proved that Shiwan had been a rather large-scale pottery production base in the south of China since the Tang and Song dynasties.

Meanwhile, the artistry of Shiwan pottery developed on the basis of items made for daily use, and , gradually formed its own style starting in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It reached its heyday during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with dozens of stores and hundreds of employees engaged in the pottery sculpture business.

Shiwan pottery is primitive in sculpting techniques, vivid in image, rich in glazed colors and with delicate carved craftwork that fully shows the advantages of the different textured base and glazes. It falls into five categories based on patterns, namely, human figures, animals, utensils for daily use, miniature sculptures, and tile-bridge pottery sculptures, forming a particular local style.

There are six basic steps to making the pottery sculpture; designing, refining the clay, molding, decorating, glazing, and calcining. It is necessary to have strict control of the kiln temperature.

Though Shiwan pottery can not be compared with Jingdezhen which is as blue as sky, as bright as a mirror, as thin as paper, and sounds like a chime, it has a special aesthetic appeal in its bold, primitive style that is deeply rooted in the culture where its origins are.

Shanhaiguan Great Wall


No. 17, Dongfeng Road, Shiwan Town, Foshan

Shanhaiguan Great Wall

Main Sights

Ceramics, Pottery

Shanhaiguan Great Wall

Travel Information

Admission: 15 Yuan
Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 6:00PM

Shanhaiguan Great Wall

Travel Tips 

1. Avoid visiting Shiwan Ceramics Factory during summer holidays and Golden Week in October as it is very crowded.


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