Leisure and Cultural Services Department - Antiquties and Monuments Office

Recent Archaeological Discoveries

Wu Yin Kiln Site, Tai Po

Wun Yiu Village is located at the south-west of Tai Po Market. Since its surrounding hills are densely wooded with abundant water resources and, most importantly, rich in kaolin deposits, it is an ideal site for manufacturing porcelain wares. Historic documents recorded that during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), some members of the Man and Tse clans had already started the blue-and-white porcelain manufacturing industry in Wun Yiu.

In 1662, the Qing court enforced an Evacuation Edict in which the coastal population was ordered to move 50 li inland. The edict depleted the region and uprooted the local community, and the porcelain industry at Wun Yiu stopped abruptly. The edict was eventually rescinded in 1669 and the coastal population returned subsequently. However, the kilns in Wun Yiu remained unattended.

After the lifting of the Evacuation Edict, the Ma clan, a group of Hakka people originating from Changle county in Guangdong Province, settled in Tai Po and purchased in 1674 the kilns in Wun Yiu from the Man clan. The porcelain industry prospered in the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911) under the Ma's management and its products were exported as far as to the Jiangmen area in Guangdong. The industry, however, declined in the early 20th century due to the strong competition from good quality and inexpensive porcelain from coastal kilns in Guangdong. The kilns at Wun Yiu finally ceased to operate in 1932.

Mr. Au Ka-fat, a local archaeologist, conducted two archaeological investigations at the Wun Yiu Kiln Site in 1995 and 1999 and discovered well-preserved remains including china clay quarrying pits, water mills, animal-driven grinder, clay-soaking tanks, paste-making workshop and dragon kilns, which illustrate the complete process of porcelain production. This is in fact a very rare archaeological discovery in the development of Chinese porcelain. Since the Wun Yiu Kiln Site is such an important archaeological heritage of Hong Kong, it is being well protected and studied to enhance its values on education and tourism.

Illustrative pamphlets on the Wun Yiu Kiln Site have been produced by the Antiquities and Monuments Office. To get copies of the pamphlet, please call 2208 4400 or fax to 2721 6216.

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