POTTERY has a long history and is important in the study of ancient societies. Jiaozhou in Qingdao has its own long history of making pots and some of the household utensils found among the Sanlihe Relics are more than 4,000 years old. For example, an egg-shell black pottery cup is one of the most valuable utensils ever unearthed in China.

    The 75-year-old man Ye Fuwen is one of the few people in Jiaozhou who still knows how to make black pottery. He said that this technique came to Qingdao during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) from Yunnan Province.

    About 600 years ago, a man in Dayao Village called Ye Yangzhong started making pottery at home and gradually, more and more villagers followed his step. Potteries from Dayao Village are very light and can be used for a long time, so they have been very popular among people in neighboring areas for hundreds of years. (Wang Yuanyuanu, Qingbao)