Yixing is situated on the shore of Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province. It boasts intoxicating tea nourished by clear water and breeze, and the mountains and rivers make the most beautiful pottery. The city is not only renowned as the pottery city of China, but also the land of happiness that many people yearn for. A thousand years ago, the great writer Su Dongpo entered Yixing on a small boat and was deeply fascinated by the lakes and mountains here.
Xishan Town: The Picturesque Small Town of Poetic Jiangnan Beauty
Yangxian Xishan is a town of natural beauty located at the southwest border of Yixing City. More than 900 years ago, Su Dongpo bought a field here and went into seclusion. The town is surrounded by green mountains and streams with tea fields and dense bamboo forests, like a secret land hidden in nature. The rippling Yangxian Lake is like a pearl set between the mountains and water. When you look near, there’s the lake where the water is crystal clear; when you look far, there are the mountain ranges with a sea of surging clouds and peaks partly hidden and partly visible. When you breathe, you feel like you are in a poetic painting of Jiangnan.
The century-old camphor tree in the town is flourishing, telling the ancient stories. If you walk cross the antique-looking gallery bridge, you may feel like traveling back in time. Climbing up to the "Dongpo Pavilion" at the top of the hill, you can see the beauty of the whole Yangxian Lake covered in mist and the distant mountains. There are also the Yada Theater and Yada Academy, where you can enjoy opera and literature. In the town’s cafeteria and Yixing Cuisines Museum, you can enjoy the delicious Subang Cuisine. At night, the town is lit up with bright lights, and living here is a good time you may wish for.
No.2 Pottery Factory: a Place to Immerse in Pottery Culture
A new international pottery culture landmark has emerged by the ancient street and along the Li River in Yixing. The No.2 Zisha Factory that once cultivated a number of Zisha masters now returns proudly in the name of "No.2 Pottery Factory", and becomes a place for young artists to pursue dreams. The towering chimneys tell the old memories of the old factory building, while the art museum, gallery, pottery experience space, bazaar and art studios are all connected to the trendy life of today.
The uniquely shaped art gallery is the highlight of No.2 Pottery Factory and a popular place to visit. It is a professional art museum focusing on contemporary pottery and creative Zisha. It has been organizing high-caliber art exhibitions for a long time, and holding pottery forums and other activities. Strolling through the bazaar is also one of the most interesting things to do when you come to the No.2 Pottery Factory. The Shushan Pottery Bazaar gathers hundreds of pottery artists to sell their creative works which are so amazing that people are unwilling to let go.
Shushan Ancient South Street: The Birthplace of Zisha
Located at the foot of Shushan Mountain, Shushan Ancient South Street is the birthplace of Yixing Zisha, and also the main distribution port for pottery during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The present ancient street has preserved the complete production sites of Zisha pottery since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of them are pottery workshops. If you are interested in making Zisha pots, you can pay for a hands-on experience to make a unique Zisha work of your own.
The quiet and peaceful old street is a very pleasant place to wander through. Dressed in the traditional Han Chinese clothing or cheongsam, you can enjoy a walk under the ancient tiles and white walls. There are some cafes and teahouses scattered along the street, presenting a sense of culture accumulated through the years and the ease in the passage of time.
