## 3. Improvements to Dragon Kilns and Changes in Firing Temperature Traditionally, Yixing pottery was fired using dragon kilns. Dragon kilns are elongated kiln structures built along hillsides or slopes in the Jiangnan region, fueled by plant materials such as miscellaneous firewood, thatch, and wheat straw. The sloped kiln body design creates strong draft within the kiln, enabling rapid temperature increase, making it the primary kiln type for ceramic firing in southern China. During the Ming dynasty, Yixing production was relatively low, with pieces fired together alongside other pottery products. As Yixing craftsmanship matured and improved, production increased, leading to the emergence of dragon kilns dedicated exclusively to firing Yixing ware, which played a significant role in Yixing history. In modern times, with the development of fuel technology and the promotion of clean energy, Yixing firing techniques have continuously improved, successively introducing modernized firing processes including tunnel kilns, downdraft kilns, shuttle kilns, liquefied gas kilns, and electric kilns. Compared to other ceramic art forms, the textural characteristics of Yixing clay manifest particularly directly and thoroughly in both the crafting process and the final formed effect. Gu Jingzhou, from his early apprenticeship, was deeply influenced by his grandmother and predecessors, placing great emphasis on clay selection, which laid an excellent foundation for his Yixing artistic career. Subsequently, Gu Jingzhou encountered numerous famous Ming and Qing dynasty Yixing works in Shanghai, carefully studying the body color characteristics and stylistic features of Yixing vessels, gradually forming his theories on Yixing appreciation and production. After Liberation, Gu Jingzhou actively responded to the nation's call, serving as technical instructor at the Shushan Yixing Workshop, teaching and mentoring while innovating and exploring. Through his practical work and teaching, Gu Jingzhou continuously refined and elevated the intuitive understanding formed through his application of clay materials in craft production. In his leisure time, he read and studied relevant books, transcribed historical Yixing treatises, and gradually developed his own distinctive theories on Yixing raw materials.