Download Introduction of Yixing

General Information of Yixing
Yixing, dubbed the Pottery Capital of China, is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of
Wuxi. With its fabulous unglazed clay teapots - Yixing Teapots, the city is only the place
where you can find such clay soil called Zisha in its hilly areas but no where else.
In 221 B.C. during the Qin Dynasty, the ancient county jurisdiction was established, calling
Yangxian at the time. In history, the county was mostly under the prefecture jurisdictions of
either Yangzhou or Changzhou. Yixing, as a county name, was first introduced in 976 A.D.
during the Song Dynasty.
Geography, Resources and Climate
Yixing is located in the South of Jiangsu Plain, bordering Changzhou, Jintan, Liyang,
Changxin of Zhejiang Province and Guangde of Anhui Province. The Lake of Tai lies on its
east, facing Suzhou across the lake. The hilly area is in the southern part of the city but the
flat land is located in the north.
Nature resources include water, minerals and bamboo. Yixing has a unique stoneware clay
produced only on the Sushan Hill of the city, which is an essential material to make Yixing
Teapots. The clay is usually red or brown in color and very cohesive. Due to the increasing
demand for the teapots, the clay is now limited quantities.
Tea trees and bamboo are additional resources for Yixing. These tea trees supply the city’s
tea manufacture sector the unique tea leaves for a green tea brand, Yangxian Tea, which is
one of three best green tea brands in China.
A bamboo species, phyllostachys, is another resource for Yixing. The city has 12,000
hectares of the bamboo which provides the city the raw bamboo fibers to manufactures.
The city is under the influence of East Asia Monsoon, like its neighbors. It has a mild and
humid climate and seasons are distinct. The average annual temperature is close to 16ºC and
the highest average 28ºC in July. The normal precipitation is around 1,200 mm yearly.
Transportation and Tourism
Distances:
From Nanjing (Capital of Jiangshu Province) to Yixing by high-speed train 40 minutes. From
Beijing to Yixing by high-speed train only 5 hours.
In Yixing from the railway station to the hotel of the international participants 10 minutes by
taxi.
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The best tourist attraction in consideration would be its traditional pottery culture, which has
been listed as one of national non-substance heritages. The tradition started in the North
Song Dynasty and became thriving in the Ming and the Qing. Attractive locations needed to
visit include the Yixing Pottery Museum, the Yixing Teapot Museum and factories where you
can view how to make these lovely pots. Or go to teapot shops to buy one for your family.
Don’t forget to test its best tea in a teahouse.
The Longchi Mountain is 35 km far away from the city’s urban area and is a forest nature
reserve. The mountain is near 500 meters tall and 95% of the area is covered by forest, which
is an excellent habitat for wild birds and animals.
Culture and Folklore
Yixing’s pottery culture can be tracked back to the North Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.) and
became thriving in the Ming (1368-1683 A.D.) and the Qing (1636-1911 A.D.) dynasties.
According to records, the clay used for making these teapots is only available from the hilly
area of the city. The clay is called Zisha, or purple clay, though is actually comes in other
colours as well, from light brown to red. The clay is rich of quartz, kaolin, mica and iron oxide.
It is the iron oxide that gives the reddish color to the clay. This clay is porous when fired and
is ideal for the making of teapots. Over time, the clay absorbs the flavors and volatilized oil
from the tea and releases them later. The teapots have become popular in China since the
North Song Dynasty and were traded to many countries including Briton, Portugal, Dutch,
Japan, etc. Besides teapots, Yixing also produces many other pottery stuff including cup,
bottle, tripod, plate, bowl, etc.
Yixing sponsors a pottery festival to celebrate and promote its pottery products every two
years.