Archeologists in Hebei Province have discovered an ancient port that was mainly used for porcelain trade near Huanghua City, beside the Bohai Sea in Hebei. Products of the Dingyao, Jingxing, Cizhou, Yaozhou and Junyao kilns -- all leading porcelain producers in their time -- were found at the site.

Facing the Bohai Sea, the Haifengzhen Site, situated between Haifengzhen and Yangzhuang villages, covers 50 hectares in total. Just over half of one hectare has been extensively explored so far, but 33 garbage pits, one road, six house foundations and more than 400 complete or recoverable relics of the Kin kingdom (1115–1234) have been found.

Most relics unearthed so far are porcelains, and together with some earthenware, bone ware and copper coins of the Song Dynasty (960–1279).

The wide variety of porcelains includes bowls, plates, figurines, pillows, bottles, jars, basins, dice and chess pieces, glazed in white, black, dark reddish brown, blue-gray and other colors. They are decorated with patterns of mandarin ducks, fishes, peonies, lotus blossoms and hills.

According to the province's Cultural Relics Study Institution, the Haifengzhen Site was once a large water and land traffic port. It was known as a trading port town during the Tang (618–907) and Song dynasties, and became an important port mainly exporting porcelains in north China after the Kin period.

The discovery of the site provides important material for the study of ancient ports in north China and of porcelain exports in the Middle Ages. The study will improve our store of knowledge about the handicraft industry, ancient transportation and communications with other countries.

(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, July 20, 2004)