The Xing Kiln was one of the most famous porcelain kilns in northern China during ancient times. It was the center for producing white porcelain during the Tang Dynasty and one of the seven major official kilns of the Tang Dynasty. Kiln sites are primarily located in the Xindu and Xiangdu districts of present-day Xingtai City, as well as in Neiqiu and Lincheng counties. The kiln is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Site. Along with Yuezhou celadon, the Xing Kiln is known as "Southern Green, Northern White."
Founded during the Northern Dynasties, the Xing Kiln primarily produced celadon. It rapidly developed during the Sui Dynasty, producing fine, translucent white porcelain that was as thin as paper, as white as snow, and as smooth as jade, marking a new peak in Chinese porcelain production. The Tang Dynasty reached its peak, with white porcelain that resembled silver and snow, as well as colored glazes, white-glazed green porcelain, Tang Sancai (three-colored glaze), and hard white pottery. However, during the late Tang and Five Dynasties, the Xing Kiln gradually faded from public consciousness. During the Song and Jin Dynasties, the Ding Kiln replaced the Xing Kiln as the representative of northern white porcelain.
The Xing Kiln is the forerunner of Chinese white porcelain and the most famous kiln in Hebei Province. In 1996, the Xing Kiln Site was listed as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council; in 2012, the Neiqiu Xing Kiln Site was listed as one of the "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2012"; in 2014, the "Xing Kiln Ceramic Firing Technique" was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.