Yao Shen (Kiln God)

Yao Shen (the Kiln God) is the patron deity of the ceramic firing industry, though specific deities worshipped at kiln sites vary regionally. In Jingdezhen, Tong Bin—a kiln worker of the Ming dynasty—is revered as Fenghuo Xianshi (Immortal Master of Wind and Fire). During the Wanli reign, imperial officials urgently demanded the production of massive qinglong (Azure Dragon) porcelain jars; repeated firings failed, and time was running out. In righteous fury, Tong Bin threw himself into the kiln, offering his bones as fuel—and miraculously, the jar succeeded. The entire town, moved by his extraordinary courage and devotion, built the You Tao Ling Ci (Luminous Shrine Honoring Ceramic Craftsmanship) to enshrine him. Ever since, before igniting any kiln fire, artisans have performed ritual offerings to Fenghuo Xianshi. In northern kiln districts such as Cizhou and Yaozhou, however, deities like Tai Shang Lao Jun (the Supreme Elder Lord, i.e., Laozi) or local earth-and-mountain gods are more commonly venerated as Kiln Gods. Traditionally, incense was burned and solemn kowtows offered both at the moment of ignition and upon opening the kiln, praying that the kiln fire remain steady and unbroken and that all wares emerge flawless. This cult of the Kiln God embodies millennia of artisans’ perilous, life-risking dedication—and stands as a profound symbol of Jingdezhen’s ceramic spirit.