Wander in Yingge, The Ceramic Capital of Taiwan

Over three hundred red-bricked chimneys once dominated the skyline of Yingge, tinting its sky with heavy smokes like ink dancing on paper.

Yingge Train Station was once ranked second Taiwan’s rail freight volume.

YINGGE, Taiwan — Imagine travelling to Yingge by train in the old days. As the train approach this little town, you look out the window to find its skyline filled with soaring chimneys, whose proud upright gesture makes it difficult for you not to notice.

Over three hundred red-bricked chimneys once dominated the skyline of Yingge. Heavy smoke emitting from these chimney tops tinted its sky — this was what the Capital of Ceramics looked like in its heyday.

Today, these chimneys have all but become a rare sight. When my train was approaching Yingge, I only spot two of those chimneys that seem to have been abandoned for some time.

The town’s name “Yingge”, which means “singing oriole”, is associated with a piece of rock found on a mountain lying to the north of the town. To Yingge’s early inhabitants, the unique form of this rock was thought to resemble the silhouette of a parrot. Others saw it as a singing oriole, hence the name “Yingge”. This legendary rock — now called Yingge Rock — can be reached through a popular hiking trail for those who long for a closer look at this natural wonder.

A photography on display at the Yingge Ceramics Museum shows that the town’s skyline was once filled with chimneys

Clay, water and fuel are essential to the making of ceramics. The unique conditions of Yingge — blessed with a wealth of various natural resources —promised this little town with a bright future.

Yingge is found along Dahan River. Raw materials such as clays were retrieved in nearby Jianshan (Jian Mountain). An abundance of coal and forest resources to be used as fuel was found in Yingge and its surrounding areas.

Yingge’s ceramics production didn’t begin until 1805 when Wu family crossed the strait from Quanzhou, China to arrive at Yingge during the reign of Qing Emperor Jiaqing (r. 1760-1820), setting the foundation for the town’s development in this trade.

In the early days, the hub of ceramics production was found on Jianshanpu Street. Its production scale was small, and it didn’t expand until after 1931 when Japanese colonial government promoted Industrialisation Movement, giving way to the modernisation of this traditional trade, particularly the possibility of mass production.

Based on historical records, Yingge had more than 300 ceramic factories in 1983 — this number reached to a many as 570 in 1989, and up to 800 in 1992. Factories were able to satisfy both national and international demands in ceramics for daily use, as well as those intended for construction use. With the advantage of its logistics — by boat and rail — ceramics produced in Yingge were sold throughout Taiwan, to the extent that the town was crowned as Jingdezhen of Taiwan.

Yingge’s glory didn’t last forever. An increase in salary, a shortage of labour, as well as an increase in the price for raw materials pushed the operation cost for ceramics production to a new height. From 1995 onwards, ceramics industry in Yingge came to a decline and most of its factories were moved to China and South East Asia.

Yingge Old Streets

Yingge was selected as the first town to participate in the “One Town One Specialty” initiative. What was once the hub of ceramics production has now become “Yingge Old Streets” — Jianshanpu Street and Wenhua Street — that welcome visitors and locals alike to explore its legacy.

When I arrived at Yingge Old Street on a Saturday morning, the town was still asleep — most visitors didn’t arrive until after lunch, and that’s when Yingge really came alive.

When wandering in Yingge, my most favourite spot is a century-old tunnel kiln whose entrance can be found on Chongqing Street. When entering this kiln, I imagine myself as a piece of pottery being transported through this tunnel — the further I go, the darker it gets and the higher the temperature.

In the old days, pottery was placed in a cargo that moved along the rails beneath my feet. After a 1-minute walk, I arrive at the end of the tunnel, whose exit leads me to the back end of a ceramics store next door.

Yingge Old Streets are filled with shops selling all types of pottery and ceramics, from bowls to plates to tea utensils. However, over 90% of the ceramics products sold in today’s Capital of Ceramics weren’t made in the area, but exported from other countries.

On my visit, I was introduced to a local studio called Xuan Gong Feng, where I had the opportunity to meet its owner who made all of the artisan ceramics on display. If you seek to buy ceramics made in Yingge, look out for unique pieces made by artisans and ceramic artists. For those who prefer to make their own, there are dozen of studios that offers workshops for both children and adults who feel like throwing clay on the pottery wheel.

Yingge Fuxing Temple

Tucked away from Yingge Old Streets is Fuxing Temple, the town’s centre of faith where Tao Shen, or God of Ceramics, is worshipped.

It turns out that Tao Shen are, in fact, two brothers who were extremely skilled in the art of ceramics. Luo Wen, the elder brother, excelled in hand-building ceramics, whereas his younger brother, Luo Ming, was experienced in wheel-throwing.

Traditional kilns in Taiwan worshipped Tao Shen. Depending on their trade, potters who practiced hand-building venerated Luo Wen, whereas those who worked with a pottery wheel worshipped Luo Ming. Some people claimed that Luo Wen was more skillful because he could build the clay freehand, without using a pottery wheel. Whether true or not, the two brothers are venerated today as the Patriarch of Ceramics.

Fuxing Temple is located only a few minutes walk from Yingge Old Street

Inside Fuxing Temple in Yingge, Gods of Ceramics, Luo Wen (left) and Luo Ming (right), are being worshipped on the altar.

📍 No. 63, Zhongzheng 2nd Rd, Yingge District, New Taipei City

Huo Fang

Not far from Fuxing Temple is a studio called Huo Feng. Poised in a quiet neighborhood, the exterior of Huo Fang looks like a historic mansion that is easy to miss. But it’s astonishing that the moment I set foot in the space, it’s as if I were entering another world.

Converted from a traditional kiln, Huo Fang is an artist studio shared by artists who come from different background. When they we’re revamping the interior, they intentionally kept the traditional kiln. Old objects from around the country become part of the decor, combining the artists’ expertise in ceramics, metal work, carpentry, calligraphy, and flower arrangement to create a wabi-sabi aesthetic.

While an appointment is needed to visit, those who have time to spare can make a reservation to dine in this time-honored building and have a taste of local cuisine served by one of the studio’s owners who is also a chef.

Huo Feng is housed inside a historic red-bricked kiln.

Inside Huo Feng, tea pots, ceramic vessels and withered tree come to evoke a wabi-sabi interior.

📍 No. 78, Zhongzheng 2nd Rd, Yingge District, New Taipei City

Yingge Ceramics Museum

Opened in 2000, Yingge Ceramics Museum is the first of its kind in Taiwan that presents Yingge’s ceramics industry over the past 200 years.

The museum’s permanent gallery showcases traditional ceramic techniques and tools used by Taiwanese potters and artisans, including a variety of glazes and textures that could be applied to the pottery.

At the time of writing, the museum holds a special exhibition, Tangible World — The New Social Dynamics in Ceramics, as part of the 2022 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, featuring contemporary works of art made by 47 ceramic artists from 12 countries.

This special exhibition, which coincides with this year’s Yingge Arts Festival, aims to foster dialogues between local and international artists who adopt ceramics as their creative expression. By bringing Taiwan’s ceramic artists to the international stage, Yingge no longer casts a shadow over its past glory, but becomes a cradle for Taiwan to nurture new talents.

📍 No. 200, Wenhua Rd, Yingge District, New Taipei City

Today, Yingge’s legacy in ceramics production may have stayed behind us, but on the bright side — its sky is clearer and bluer than ever.

Ceramics are ubiquitous in our everyday life, but we often fail to appreciate their existence. A visit to Yingge could remind us of its importance.

And if we look hard enough, traces of the town’s history and traditions — so closely associated with its role as the ceramic capital of Taiwan — are found wherever we go, be it a stroll along Yingge Old Streets, or a visit to its museum.

It is only then that we become fascinated by how the science of creating beautiful vessels and objects from clay and water — an ancient technology developed at the dawn of humanity — is still being practiced and explored by makers and artisans to this very day.

Reference:

Chou, Wen-Chin & Chou, I-Hsiung, 1996, History of Ceramics in Ying Ge (Ying Ge Tao Ci Shi)
Pottery Town - Development of Ceramics in Yingge. (2022) Yingge Ceramics Museum, New Taipei City.

This visit to Yingge was made during the 2022 Yingge Arts Festival, which took place from December 17 to 25, 2022.