DIY Pottery: Get your hands dirty!
San Yang Yao

Words and photos by Dale Baggs Translated by Ann Lee

776~778, CiJin 3rd Rd, CiJin District, Kaohsiung City; (07) 571-7788
Hours: 8 am-8 pm
Credit cards not accepted.

Has your favorite coffee cup seen better days? Well, now you can have your morning brew out of a new mug—one that you make yourself.
The Pottery Shop located on CiJin Island is a great place to spend an afternoon while creating something truly original. The first step is deciding what you want to make. Standard items include cups, bowls and vases—although other pieces are possible. Owner Mr. Yuan will perform the tricky task of centering your clay on the wheel and all you have to do is wet your hands, channel your inner artist, and start creating. If your inner artist is hiding that day and your blob remains a blob, don't worry! Mr. Yuan will put his twenty years of experience to use and help shape your clay into a beautiful work of art.

After that, just choose a glaze color from an assortment of earth-toned hues. Mr. Yuan will glaze and fire your piece for 10 to 15 hours, depending on size, and you can pick it up when it is ready. If you don't want to get your hands dirty making your own pottery, choose from one of Mr. Yuan's creations. He and his English-speaking assistant, Shelly, can answer any questions about the process or ceramics in general. To get to the DYI Pottery Shop, take the ferry across the harbor to CiJin Island. When you leave the ferry terminal, take the first left into the street market and simply follow the road that runs parallel to the beach until the first set of lights. The DYI Pottery Shop is directly to the left of the lights.