Wanyao – An Ancient Village Riding the Tides of Time

The local tourism bureau is striving to preserve the village’s tradition. Yu Zhenman, a potter in his 60s, is part of one such preservation initiative. Yu had worked in a porcelain factory in the village for over 40 years. When the factory closed down, he chose to stay in the village. Now, he demonstrates traditional porcelain making for visitors.

I watched Yu’s performance next to a dragon kiln. Taupe pottery clay had already been crushed by a water-powered trip hammer and mixed thoroughly. Yu then dug out a lump of clay with his hands and put it on a pottery wheel. While rotating the turntable, Yu gently and swiftly pressed, squeezed and pulled the clay upwards and outwards. Magically, a bowl was shaped in his hands, like a flower coming into bloom. Yu told me that he used to make 1,000 bowls of this kind in a day when he worked in the factory. The margin of error of each bowl was limited to one millimeter. He could make more than 100 kinds of wares such as mugs and oil lamps, and as we were talking, he whipped up a small wine cup.

The wooden opera stage, built during the golden age, has neither nail, nor any other metal component.

Yu encouraged me to make my own bowl. I sat down and followed his instructions. However, I could not work the clay in my hands into anything like a bowl. Yu comforted me, saying: “I have been doing this for decades. But it is your first time.” He also told me that rustic hand-made bowls were well received among tourists. “It can be considered a souvenir from Wanyao Village,” Yu said.

Yu likes this job. He is happy to perform for tourists but hopes more and more people will visit in the future. On quiet days, he relies on farm work to earn a living. Working the land, he often comes across kaolin clay. It’s an exciting find for him, but what can he actually do with his treasure?

The kiln fire has long died down and Yu’s deft hands can no longer earn him a decent wage – he gets just RMB 300 a month for his pottery show. While the younger generations migrate to bigger cities for work, seniors are left in the village to do simple farm work to make ends meet. Their life in this remote village is not easy – they have to go a long way for daily necessities.

These villagers are encouraged to pick up their craftsmanship and revive the porcelain industry. But when I questioned them about this possibility, I saw helplessness in their eyes as well as aspirations to leave the mountain valley one day. Even though life is hard, they feel fortunate that the peace and integrity of the village has been preserved.

In the early 1980s, the village was regenerated when a Japanese folklore tour group came to Wanyao. Attracted by its reputation, the tourists revitalized the village’s connection with the outside world and called for more attention to its situation. Another turning point occurred in the 1990s when Luo Zhewen, head of the expert group under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, paid a visit to Wanyao. Despite feeling exhausted on his arrival, Luo, in his late 70s, visited the opera stage, the dragon kiln and residences with enormous enthusiasm. When night fell, he lit a lamp and continued his tour. “Wanyao Village is qualified to apply for world heritage status,” Luo concluded.