Dingshan Travel Guide

Dingshan is a small community in Yixing County, China. This is where much of the region's famous pottery is created and displayed; a fact which has begun to draw tourists in greater numbers.

Worth It?: Dingshan is a good diversion from Suzhou for anyone with an interest in Chinese culture and tea ceremony.
What to Do: visit the pottery museum, go caving.
Best Time to Go: on the shoulders of the rainy summer season, around April or September.
How Long?: A day is plenty of time to see the town.
Trivia: the pottery in Dingshan is unique because of the rich deposits of clay found here.

The most popular product made in Dingshan is the Yixing teapot, a round, squat pot that is used for tea ceremonies across the continent. These teapots, which are typically brown, are said to enhance the flavor of the tea through a natural process between fired clay and hot water.

Another defining characteristic of Dingshan is its ceramic tiled roofs. These are displayed on ornamental displays and temple rooftops around town. Those who have had enough with the ceramic industry can visit waterfalls and caves in the Dingshan countryside.

Travel to Dingshan - Getting There

Dingshan is only accessible by road from the surrounding area, and most tourists simply visit on a daytrip from Suzhou, an important regional city with plenty of transportation options. Buses can also be chartered for Shanghai (3 hours), where the international airport operates flights to cities throughout the world.

Dingshan Things to Do

Dingshan Attractions

Ceramics Museum

this prominent collection focuses on Yixing teapots and explores the evolution of Yixing pottery over the past 6,000 years.

Side trips from Dingshan

Linggu Caves: the highlight of these caverns (about 30 minutes outside of Dingshan town) is an underground waterfall.