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YiXing ( 宜兴/宜興 'proper prosperity') is a county in Jiangsu province, China on the western shores of Tai Hu (Tai Lake) and is famous for YiXing teapots (宜兴茶 壶 yixing chahu) which are produced in the nearby town of Dingshan (pop 100,000). The teapots are also called purple sand teapots ( 紫砂茶壶) because of the color of the local clay. The area is famous for its canals, small lakes and caves which form in the karst hills of the area and can be reached by bus from YiXing . The Zhanggong caves are about 40 minutes from Yixing. According to legend, one of the founders of Daoism, Zhang Daolin, was active here . A nearby cave, the Linggu caves, has an underground waterfall.Dingshan is about a 30 bus ride from Yixing. The Dingshan area has been producing pottery as far back as the Shang and Zhou dynasty. Dingshan is also famous for roof tiles, mostly used for temples and ornamental rocks.The Pottery exhibition Center in Dingshan has examples of yixing teapots going back to the Song dynasty.
location of Yixing Yixing teapots first appeared during the Sung dynasty in China in the village of Yixing, about 120 miles northwest of Shanghai and are made of a special local clay . Unglazed teapots (like Yixing) should never be washed in a dishwasher or soapy water due to the porous nature of its clay, since there is no glaze used. They should be rinsed with warm water only and left upside down to dry. The porous nature of the local clay absorbs the flavor, smell, and color of the tea that is brewed in it. Over time, Yixing teapots develop a seasoning from repeated use, some claim a decent pot of tea can be brewed from pouring hot water only in a well used Yixing teapot . For this reason, most people will dedicate a single flavor of tea to a specific Yixing teapot, so that the seasoning is not disrupted by cross-brewing. The tea is drunk from very small cups . It is called old man tea in Taiwan
How to use a yixing teapot
photos of Yixing
Street map of Yixing
Places to stay in Yixing Yixing Guoji Fandian ( Yixing International Hotel) 52 Tongzhenguan Lu (0510-791-6888
How to get to Yixing and Dingshan There are frequent buses to Yixing from the Wuxi long distance bus station, cost is about 20 Yuan. From Yixing there are buses to Dingshan, cost abot 10 Yuan. |
YiXing Links
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