Kiln fragments museum opens in Shaonian Village

The Fulin Ancient Kiln Fragments Memory Museum officially opened its doors to the public on International Museum Day (May 18), inviting visitors to step back in time and explore the rich history of Chinese ceramics.

Located in Shaonian Village, northwest of the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Site, the museum's exterior resembles an ancient bun-shaped kiln, constructed with bricks and pottery jars, creating a textured and uneven facade that evokes the ancient pottery-making scene with a touch of fairytale charm.

The museum covers an area of about 300 square meters and displays a variety of ancient ceramic fragments, offering visitors a treasure hunt-like experience as they navigate through the exhibits.

With Songjiang's urban planning, a large number of ancient ceramic fragments have been unearthed in the district and surrounding areas, spanning from the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1600BC-256 BC) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The discovered fragments represent a multitude of kilns and a well-organized sequence, which is quite rare around the Taihu Lake region.

"The museum, in collaboration with Songjiang's Xilin Collection Committee, will display the ancient ceramic fragments collected over the years from an urban archaeology perspective, in an open and immersive manner, to celebrate the charm of ancient porcelain," said Zhang Qin, who is in charge of the project.

The museum's permanent exhibition is divided into two main parts. The first showcases specimens collected from the Guangfulin site, while the second displays specimens from Songjiang Old City and historically related areas such as Haiyan in Zhejiang Province and Suzhou in Jiangsu Province.

"The artifacts from these regions share a high degree of similarity and embody the common cultural characteristics around the Taihu Lake area," Zhang said.

The exhibits are synchronized with ancient Chinese history, with kilns as the main line of connection, followed by the characteristics of ancient ceramics. The combination of physical artifacts and text provides a visual and tactile panoramic display, allowing the public to engage closely with the ancient ceramic fragments in an easy-to-learn manner, facilitating historical research and the study of ancient ceramic identification.

The museum is set to launch a series of activities, including a children's ceramic treasure hunt, family heirloom porcelain restoration, a college student internship base and public lectures.