Tian Zhong Ceramics Creative Park Introduction
The Tianzhong Kiln Creative Park is located in Tianzhong Township, southeastern Changhua County. The terrain is flat, the soil is fertile, and irrigation is convenient, making it famous for rice farming since ancient times and earning the nickname "rice warehouse." Since 1994, community revitalization efforts have united local residents with artisans to blend agriculture, craftsmanship, and tourism, gradually transforming it into an innovative town. In 1992, Ye Zhicheng, the founder of the Taiwan Craft House and a preserver of intangible cultural heritage, renamed "Ceramic Sound and Art" to "Tianzhong Kiln" and shifted from producing practical ceramics to wood-fired art under the name "Jiu Yi Ceramics Co., Ltd.," creating a complex park suitable for families and multiple generations. The park not only demonstrates wood-firing techniques and provides pottery experiences but also collaborates with local schools and communities to promote one-day apprenticeships and outdoor education, facilitating a cultural tourism cycle based on "one township, one feature." With the rise of cultural and creative industries and the implementation of local regeneration in 2002, Tianzhong Kiln actively markets itself through domestic and international exhibitions, integrating local agricultural tourism to shape the "Tianzhong Kiln Creative Park" brand. The area spans about six thousand pings and hosts the "Tianzhong Marathon" annually, where participants receive a trophy designed by Ye Zhicheng that embodies agricultural imagery, enhancing the visibility of the "hometown of rice." The park is based in the Sanmin community, where both parties work together to create the "Kiln-fired Cat Community," inspired by the legend of cats driving away rats, using colorful pottery, reliefs, and three-dimensional installations to create a vivid and story-rich alley scenery. A notable feature within the Sanmin community is the "Couple Trees," a pair of century-old Ficus listed closely together, resembling watchful partners; the surrounding space is designed as a leisure park complemented by ecological ponds and ceramic installations, allowing visitors to connect with nature. Every spring, Tianzhong Kiln hosts the "Flower Sea Art Season," where vast areas of hollyhocks bloom, and the park features a cultural and creative craft market and music performances for families, exuding a unique rural romantic atmosphere. The highlight of Tianzhong Kiln is the wood-fired anagama kiln built from tens of thousands of firebricks, which requires extended periods of wood burning to create a natural ash glaze that showcases a warm and rugged beauty. In addition to crafting everyday items like teapots and cups, the park extends wood-firing techniques to large-scale landscapes and public art. Through the five aspects of "people, culture, land, products, and scenery," Tianzhong Kiln implements three main strategies—"talent cultivation," "product creation," and "landscape construction"—to elevate pottery into the core of local emotions and aesthetics. Visitors to Tianzhong Township can experience a variety of activities such as wheel throwing, clay sculpture, mud dyeing, and wood-firing, stroll through the colorful alleys of Cat Village, taste local rice dishes, or indulge in the vibrant hollyhocks during the Flower Sea Art Season; the Tianzhong Marathon and local markets also evoke a rich sense of community. From the kiln workshop to the views of the rice waves, Tianzhong Kiln accumulates not only the energy of a personal brand but also revitalizes the culture and industry of the entire rural town. Here, wood-firing and rice paddies merge perfectly, witnessing the continuous unfolding of the most touching stories of Tianzhong.
Scenery of Tianzhong Kiln
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