World Heritage Day: 10 must-visit archaeological sites in China

10. The Dayao Longquan Kilns site, Zhejiang province

The Dayao Longquan Kilns site is home to a group of kilns located in Longquan city in Zhejiang province, and was once the core production area of Longquan celadon in China. Today, this is a protected area covering 5.2 square kilometers and contains 126 kiln sites.

The Longquan celadon is known for its elegant colors, especially jade green and light blue. Starting in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), the Longquan Kilns continued to operate for 1,600 years up until the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Longquan Kilns were mainly used to serve the royal families during the Song and early Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, before celadon became a pillar of overseas trade in the 12th to 15th centuries.

In 2009, the traditional firing technology of Longquan Celadon was included on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.