This year, under the leadership of teacher Zhao Huiqun (the major leader) and Hu Lifang (a ceramic restoration expert) from the Ceramics Studio for Cultural Relics Restoration and Protection of the Building and Environmental Art College worked on field restoration and protection of ceramics in the national archaeological excavation project Nanhai No.1 as well as the Fanjing Yuan Dynasty Ruins in Taicang, Jiangsu, and rich phased objectives have been obtained. 

The Nanhai No.1 shipwreck of Southern Song Dynasty is the earliest, biggest and most unbroken ocean commerce ship ever found in the world. It is the only shipwreck via which we can witness the ancient Maritime Silk Road; it may recover and fill in the historical blank closely related to ancient China’s Maritime Silk Road; it is a national archaeological excavation project in recent years and also a core strategic point of national top-rated the B&R Maritime Silk Road. In April and May of 2017, as invited by Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and Guangdong Yangjiang Maritime Silk Road Museum, Hu Lifang and Zhao Huiqun (two SUCC teachers) went to the Nanhai No.1 excavation site in Hailing Island of Yangjiang, Guangdong Province for restoration and protection of porcelains. Within the 40 days, our 18 teachers and students had overcome the difficulties of tight schedule, large quantity and high difficulty, strictly followed the principles for preservation of cultural relics, developed scientific cleaning, typing, matching, bonding, reinforcing, polishing and coloring work, established regular protection and restoration files, and completed 22 fine restorations, 178 archaeology restorations (coloring) and restoration of totally 200 porcelains from water.

The Jiangsu Taicang Fanjing Yuan Dynasty Ruins is an undergoing excavation project jointly developed by Suzhou Archaeology Institute and Taicang Museum. Till now, the total excavation area is over 10,000 square meters with tons of celadon wares of Longquan kilns, Shufu porcelains and Yuan blue-and-white porcelains, etc. The Ruins is of great influence within the industry. It was enlisted in the 2016 China’s Important Archaeological Findings and the initial list of the 2016 China’s Top 10 Archaeological Findings. Also, it is the strategic point in restoration and protection of ceramics cultural relics.

Since its establishment in 2012, the Ceramics Studio for Cultural Relics Restoration and Protection of the Building and Environmental Art College has provided diversified social services to organizations within the industry. The field restoration and protection of ceramics at the Nanhai No.1 as well as Jiangsu Taicang Fanjing Yuan Dynasty Ruins has reflected the skilled restoration technology and favorable professional quality of SUCC teachers and students, and has been highly praised by various units.