NING Gang, WU Xiumei
(Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen 333403, Jiangxi, China)

Abstract: Dragon kiln, a typical kind of ceramic kilns and furnaces in Jingdezhen in Song Dynasty, built up along the slope of a mountain with the top half above the ground, claimed a prominent position in ceramic history. However, with the elapse of time, the expansion of cities and the progress of technology, dragon kilns were gradually abandoned and finally wiped out to give way to highrises in cities. Tianbao dragon kiln is the only operating survivor of its kind in Jingdezhen. It has called great attention in recent years from the governments of different levels in Jingdezhen and Fuliang under the petition of some teachers at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute. In order to preserve and transmit the craft as a type of intangible cultural heritage, large funds have been raised and invested in the Tianbao project. The traditional kiln has now been completely renovated and its craft vigorously recovered.

Key words: Tianbao Dragon Kiln; transmission; preservation; craft