aeeble

At the mere mention of a serpent kiln, people often think of a snake and mistakenly imagine that its shape is curved. However, a serpent kiln is actually long and straight, with no divisions in the middle. Many existed in various parts of Taiwan in the early days and were quite common. They were used to fire daily pottery. Due to their fragile nature, very few remain today. The Zhunan Serpent Kiln was built in 1972 and originally measured 23 meters long. Only 17 meters of the kiln remain, but it is one of the few well-preserved serpent kilns in Taiwan. Moreover, it can still be used to fire pottery. In 2001, it was selected as one of the top 100 historic buildings in Taiwan and was registered as a historic site in Miaoli County, demonstrating its value. Despite its traditional architecture, the management philosophy of the Zhunan Serpent Kiln is not conventional. It combines ancient pottery-firing techniques with innovative ideas, elevating the kiln's purpose from merely firing pottery to promoting traditional pottery culture. The kiln owner is committed to teaching traditional pottery-making and occasionally hosts pottery exhibitions to promote the art form. Not only does it preserve traditional craftsmanship, but it also delivers impressive performances in modern art. With this new spirit, the art of pottery-making will continue to thrive and be passed down.