Zhen Kiln: the Living Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Zhen kiln is a traditional Chinese hooded pine firewood kiln built indoors. The structure of the kiln is similar to an egg sliced in half and flipped upside down, with a two-layer kiln wall separated by air gaps. The slope of the kiln chamber yard is increased from front to rear to allow the hot air mass to flow transversely from front to rear and out through the kiln chimney. Zhen Kiln is an advanced technology firewood kiln so that it enables excellent control of the combustion's temperature and environment. As a result, Jing De Zhen has been a source of high-quality porcelain production since the Qing Dynasty.

At present, Zhen Kiln has become a valuable source of living cultural heritage in China. Apart from being both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, it is also comprised of an effective cultural heritage management system within the context of cultural ecology and sustainable cultural heritage management, resulting in all-round values in a contemporary context. As a result, Zhen kiln, the living cultural heritage, is now regarded as a national resource and cultural heritage considerable worth. This leading practice model can be applied to the management of living cultural heritage for porcelain in Thailand.