Guangxi · China · Since 618 AD

About Qinzhou Nixing Pottery

One of China’s four great pottery traditions — 1,300 years of craft, one unique clay, and teaware made to be used and loved for a lifetime.

The Tradition

What Is Qinzhou Nixing Pottery?

Nixing pottery is one of China’s four great pottery traditions, alongside Yixing, Jianshui and Rongchang. It has been crafted in Qinzhou, Guangxi for more than 1,300 years, and its firing technique is recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China.

A Nixing teapot is both art and everyday tool. Every piece carries real collectible value, yet it is made to be used — an ideal vessel for brewing tea.

With each brew, the clay grows richer and more lustrous. Devoted users often find that after years of service, even a pot filled with plain boiling water releases a gentle tea fragrance, so deeply has the clay absorbed the leaves.

The Tradition

The Clay and the Craft

Nixing pottery is made from two unique local clays found only in Qinzhou. Clean and exceptionally fine, they are blended in a precise proportion and refined into clinker.

Every piece then passes through a series of hand processes and is fired without glaze and without additives — no chemicals, no toxins.

Instead, the natural clay retains a range of beneficial trace minerals, including selenium, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.

A Unique Structure

Breathable, Yet Watertight

Nixing clay has a natural double-porosity structure: breathable, yet watertight. Tea brewed in Nixing pottery stays fresh for days, and the vessels are equally suited to storing tea leaves and other dried goods.

The classic test: fill the teapot with water, press the spout, turn it upside down — the lid stays in place, proof of its airtight fit.

The Process

How Nixing Pottery Is Made

Every piece is made entirely by hand — hand-thrown, hand-carved, hand-finished — through twelve steps.

1

Selecting the Clay

2

Fine Milling & Vacuuming

3

Weathering

4

Hand shaping

5

Repairing and refining the form

6

Carving the decoration

7

Firing

8

Burnishing

9

Final inspection

Why Teaware Lovers Choose Nixing

Features of Nixing Teaware

Fine, dense clay with a smooth, natural fee
Naturally water-absorbent and breathable
Glaze-free, lead-free and non-toxic
Rich in natural trace minerals
Ideal for brewing tea and displaying flowers
Deepens in color and lustre with every use
  1. Rinse the teapot with clean water.
  2. Place the teapot and lid separately into a cooking pot, add enough water to submerge them completely, and boil for 5–10 minutes. Take care that the pieces do not knock against each other or the pot wall.
  3. Add a small handful of tea leaves and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat and allow everything to cool naturally.
  5. Remove the pieces, rinse them carefully with warm water, and let them dry.

The pores are now open, and your teapot is ready for its first brew.

  • Clean your Nixing piece thoroughly before first use and after every tea session.
  • Keep the clay away from oil — if oil touches the surface, clean it immediately so it cannot be absorbed into the wall.
  • The more you brew, the more the surface glows. Patience, not scrubbing, builds the patina.
  • After use, empty the leaves, rinse gently with warm water, and let the piece dry fully in a well-ventilated place. A soft brush is enough for the inside; avoid harsh rubbing.
  • Store your teaware dry and uncovered so the clay can breathe.
Experience It Yourself

Bring a Piece of History Home

Browse our handmade teapots, cups and gift sets — or partner with us for wholesale and custom orders.

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