Boshan is famously known as “the homeland of coloured glaze”. It has a long history of producing remarkable glassware which has been distributed to all corners of the world. It has become a treasured folk art which continues to grow in production and style.

The craft of glass making was first brought to China in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 BC). Influenced by the Middle East, glassware became a popular art form in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) where skills and techniques developed quickly due to trading on the Silk Road.

Boshan became a thriving industry for glassware in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties, Boshan glassware was in high demand throughout China and was heavily exported to Southeast Asia and Europe.

In 1904, the first glassware factory was established in Boshan. It was the only glassware factory within China at the time. Many German craftsmen were employed to improve glassware skills. Western skills were combined with Chinese techniques to create amazing works of art. The factory was closed during World War One; however, its craftsmen opened a number of small workshops around Boshan.

Before 1935, there were fifteen operating kilns producing a large number of glassware products. Over a hundred people were skilled in the craft of glass making. Tobacco pipes, pearls and snuff boxes were the main forms of glassware produced at this time.

Unfortunately the art of glass making reduced drastically during the Japanese Invasion (1937-1945). Less than ten kilns were left in the town of Boshan by the formation of the People’s Republic of China (1949). After 1949, the government supported the reestablishment of glass making in Boshan and set up more than twenty kilns. In 1951, craftsmen specializing in glassware formed an official association to promote and preserve the cherished art. More than three hundred and fifty members had joined within the first year.

In 1962, the Boshan Fine Glassware Factory was founded. Over 2200 people are currently employed to continue the amazing traditional craft of glass making. More than three thousand glassware objects are produced each year.

There are three types of stoves responsible for the fine texture and qualities of Boshan glassware. The big stove, round stove and Mizhu stove are all used to create different forms of glassware.

The big stoves are used to create practical glassware such as bottles and vases. Classed as high furnaces, the raw material is placed in the middle of the stove and melted. The craftsman commences glass blowing to give the glassware its shape.

Small glassware such as tobacco pipes and snuff boxes require a round stove. The middle of the stove is surrounded by a round work space which allows six to eight men to work from the same stove. Once the raw material is melted, each craftsman takes enough to blow their desired glassware.

The Mizhu stove is small and allows only two craftsmen to work together. Pearls are the main glassware made from these kinds of stoves. The temperature is low and the glassware produced relies heavily on the skills of the craftsman.

A wide range of glassware is now produced from Boshan including calligraphy tools, Chinese traditional toys and small animal figurines. Many forms of glassware are considered valuable pieces of art. Boshan Glass making is an admired traditional folk craft and continues to expand and gain worldwide recognition as a distinguished art form.