In the ancient town of Foshan during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the metallurgy industry flourished. As a Ming Dynasty saying goes, “Foshan’s metal products are found everywhere under heaven.” At that time, ironware produced in Foshan was already being exported overseas, with iron pots for daily use having the highest output. Renowned for their fine craftsmanship, smooth finish, and durability, these pots were acclaimed as “Yue Guo” or “Yue Pot.”
In Yanghe Town, Gaoming District, Foshan City, the Fuhuang Hardware Products Industrial Co., Ltd. hosts a heritage base dedicated to showcasing the traditional red mold casting technique. This centuries-old craft is unique to Foshan in China. With the help and guidance of experts, the company’s general manager, Mr. Pang, successfully revived the red mold casting process in 2017 after consulting ancient texts. That same year, the technique was listed as a representative intangible cultural heritage item in Gaoming District and later included in the sixth batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage projects in Foshan. Foshan iron pots are made from locally sourced high-quality raw iron ore. The pots are characterized by their thin bodies, smooth surfaces, rapid heat conduction, and excellent heat retention. Compared to contemporary products, they are only 2 mm thick and lighter in weight. This design retains the durability of traditional cast iron pots while improving cooking efficiency.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, casting typically employed two types of molds: iron molds and clay molds. Foshan primarily used clay molds for casting. However, unlike other regions, red mold casting in Foshan utilized red clay as the raw material, mixed with rice chaff to create a special clay mold. During the mold-baking process, the rice chaff carbonized, causing the clay mold to emit a red glow after being heated in a furnace—hence the name “red mold casting.”
Iron pots produced using this casting method are lighter, smoother, and thinner compared to other products on the market, earning them acclaim both domestically and internationally. According to the History of Science and Technology in Lingnan, 19th-century British industrial circles regarded iron pots made by the red mold casting method as an “industrial miracle.” The British Museum has long preserved collected illustrations of the Foshan red mold casting process as important historical technical documents.
With continuous updates and iterations in iron smelting technology, and given that the techniques of past masters were often passed down orally, the historical inheritance of the red mold casting process is now difficult to trace. To revive the craftsmanship of red mold casting, Pang Yaoyong specifically formed a team dedicated to restoring the technique and consulted numerous ancient texts. Among these, Pang discovered Foshan Ming and Qing Metallurgy by Foshan cultural relics expert Zhu Peijian, which contained 10 paintings of Foshan cast iron pots from the Qing Dynasty, enabling the preliminary restoration of the red mold casting method. However, as a precise casting technique, even minor errors in the process can affect the final outcome.
According to ancient records, the iron pots produced by the red mold casting method were only 2 mm thick. Pang Yaoyong deconstructed each step of the process for further study, leaving no variable unexamined. Through relentless experimentation and repeated iterations, he refined the thickness of the iron pots, ultimately recreating the historical “Yue Pot.”
Preserving intangible cultural heritage skills is no easy task. Currently, Fuhuang Hardware adheres to a dual approach. On one hand, the restoration team continues in-depth research and has established a heritage base for the intangible cultural heritage project within the company’s factory, ensuring the traditional craft is passed down. On the other hand, the company continually innovates, replacing materials, optimizing processes, enhancing mechanical automation, improving production efficiency, launching higher-quality products, and strengthening its market competitiveness—all while retaining the core advantages of the red mold casting technique.
Walking through the Foshan Red Mold Casting Intangible Cultural Heritage Heritage Base, the raw materials and mold-making tools of traditional casting transport visitors back to the traditional workshops of centuries past. Having weathered the twists and turns of history, the wisdom and essence of Foshan’s artisans embedded in the red mold casting technique will shine even brighter.
Foshan Gaoming Fuhuang Hardware Products Industrial Co., Ltd. was established in 1969. Formerly known as Zhangcuo Casting Factory, it is a leading cast iron cookware manufacturer with over 50 years of experience in designing, developing, producing, and selling enameled cast iron products. Located in Foshan, one of China’s four ancient towns, the company serves as a Foshan intangible cultural heritage heritage base. Mr. Pang Yaoyong, the company’s general manager, is a inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage “Red Mold Casting.”
Since its inception, the company has adhered to the principle of “customer satisfaction, sustainable development,” striving diligently to keep pace with market changes, continuously improve itself, and achieve rapid progress in a highly competitive environment. Currently, the company boasts an excellent and professional team specializing in design and development, technological innovation, quality control, and production management, consistently providing high-quality products and services to customers and consumers. We welcome interested parties to contact us for collaborative development of iron pot products.
