Exhibitor’s Stories

Mr. Leung (Pottery craftsman)

Porcelain | Castle Peak Dragon Kiln

About 20 meters in length, the Dragon Kiln could kiln more than 10,000 ceramics at a time. The Dragon Kiln was built along the mountains in the 1940s and was taken over by Leung Sum in the 1950s. Along with his staff, Leung made daily necessities such as clay pots, dishes, drains, and wine bottles for people in Hong Kong. Leung Sum’s son Leung Pak Tsuen grew up in the Dragon Kiln. He still remembers his mother used to bathe him next to the warm kiln in winter.

Kilning is unpleasant and does not earn much. Tsuen tried every means to change his career. He went to university in the 1970s and attained the Certified Public Accountant license, but at the end he chose to stay in the Dragon Kiln. The Dragon Kiln is no longer in use now, the last kilning was in the 1980s. Tsuen continues his work in the glaze used for ceramics.

Earlier, archaeologists unearthed a large number of cultural relics on the site of the Tuen Ma Line, including porcelain pots. Tsuen felt that the color of the porcelain pot was very special. He was fascinated by the color, so he thought of ways to reproduce it. Mixing glaze is like a pursuit for him, because no one would ever know what the most beautiful color is.