Lǐlíng

Liling lies on the Lu River in eastern Hunan, in a district with a long tradition of working clay. Potters made wares here in the Han period, and local kilns began producing porcelain by the Five Dynasties. Song and Yuan potters made celadon and bluish-white porcelain, drawing on techniques from other renowned kiln centres while developing a local style.

During the Ming and Qing, the kilns around Weishan grew into a major porcelain-making district. Blue-and-white bowls became a characteristic product, and hundreds of kiln households worked around the mountain. Kiln sites, clay workings and paths for carrying the finished wares bear witness to a craft that joined the resources of the river country to markets beyond it.