Tongluo Kiln

Tongluo Kiln was established in 1967. The late founder, Mr. Zhang Xinhsiang, began learning the skill of hand-throwing pottery from Fuzhou master Li Yiwu at the age of thirteen. In 1967 (the 56th year of the Republic of China), he single-handedly founded "Tongluo Pottery Factory," primarily producing flowerpots, pickling jars, soy sauce vats, and more. In the 1970s, the kiln was passed down to the second-generation owners, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Shihao, who continued the founder's vision by mass-producing traditional water vats and wine jars. After the 1990s, they won bids from the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau to produce the largest wine jars in Taiwan (up to approximately 200 cm in height), establishing Tongluo Kiln as a traditional kiln renowned for producing the largest pottery in Taiwan. In 2013 (the 102nd year of the Republic of China), the third-generation owner, Zhang Weihan, had initially not intended to return home after graduating from university to inherit and learn the craft that was on the verge of being lost. His parents informed him that if he didn't return, the kiln would close down. As an only child, Zhang Weihan felt the responsibility and mission to continue the legacy, so he decided to return home to inherit the three-generation Tongluo Kiln and preserve the traditional hand-throwing pottery technique. In 2014 (the 103rd year of the Republic of China), the third-generation Zhang Weihan established Tongluo Yipin Enterprise. In 2017 (the 106th year), he received the Hakka Youth Innovation and Development Award from the Hakka Affairs Council; in 2020 (the 109th year), he was recognized as a "Hakka Art House" by the Hakka Affairs Council; in 2021 (the 110th year), he was awarded the "Rural Cultural Craft Preservation - Hand-throwing Pottery" certificate by the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture; in 2022 (the 111th year), he received the National Youth Medal; and in 2024 (the 113th year), he was awarded the Third-Class Hakka Affairs Professional Medal by the Hakka Affairs Council, among numerous other awards. In recent years, he has also gradually established a path for succession, including skill programs, business models, and successor handover, allowing the previous generation to retire with peace of mind. Tongluo Kiln is currently one of Taiwan's few remaining manufacturers of large ceramic vats and jars, and it is also the oldest traditional kiln in Miaoli County. It has partnered with the Miaoli County Government to become one of Miaoli County's six major youth entrepreneurship bases – the Tongluo Kiln Youth Entrepreneurship Base. In the past two years, it has collaborated with the National Development Council to become a local revitalization youth empowerment workstation and other strongholds. Future development will focus on practical utility in daily life, diversifying operations to explore new uses and marketing channels, and moving towards cultural and creative industries, leisure, and tourism. "Embracing tradition while advancing with the times" is the motto of third-generation kiln owner Weihan. The ancestral traditional techniques and old methods are continuously preserved and maintained, while business models and innovative commercial approaches are adapted to the changing times, allowing the traditional kiln to continue operations and create a new era for Tongluo Kiln. Tongluo Kiln possesses culture, history, local characteristics, and generational inheritance. In the future, it will continue to promote Miaoli pottery, connect with local artisans to offer courses and lectures, and promote Hakka culture. Kiln owner Zhang Weihan currently serves as the Chairman of the Miaoli County Ceramic Arts Association, Honorary Chairman of the Tongluowan Revitalization and Development Association, and an advisory committee member for the Hakka Affairs Council, fully dedicating himself to promoting Miaoli pottery and local Hakka culture. With the recent promotion of local revitalization and community building, he also hopes that more young people will join the team in the future to work hard and strive for the local community.