Nánhǎi

Nanhai lies in the waterways of the Pearl River delta, west of Guangzhou. Its district included Shiwan, a centre of pottery making whose kilns produced jars, tiles and other wares for the surrounding region. The industry grew particularly prosperous from the middle of the Ming. A temple for pottery makers was built in 1528, when many artisans still combined work at the kiln with farming. As the trade expanded, more people specialised in pottery; by 1817 a local inscription recorded more than forty kilns producing jars and tiles in Shiwan.