Chinese archaeologists have discovered an imperial porcelain workshop dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty of more than 800 years ago in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in east China.

The archaeologists have so far discovered a large cache of fine porcelain ware as well as the ruins of seven kilns, four mud pools, two glazed jars and 24 pits of broken porcelain pieces.

The archaeologists were first led to the Laohudong (Tiger Cave) kilns in the Fenghuangshan Mountain near Hangzhou in September 1996 by two collectors.

Since then, the archaeologists have conducted massive excavations at the site between May and October 1998 and again between October 1999 to March 2001.

The discovery has convinced the archaeologists that the workshop is the so-called Xiuneisi Imperial Porcelain Workshop, one of the two such workshops built by rulers of the Southern Song Dynasty, which had Hangzhou as its capital.

The other workshop was found in the 1980s. A museum has been built upon the ruins.

The archaeologists claimed the new discovery as one of the most important discoveries in recent years involving the research of Chinese porcelain history.

They have called for further efforts and specific plans to protect the workshop as soon as possible.

(People's Daily 07/23/2001)