Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Nanjing - Manufacturing
- Nanjing - The early empires
- Chinese pottery - The Three Kingdoms (220â280 ce ) and Six Dynasties (220â589 ce )
- history of China - The Dong (Eastern) Jin (317â420) and later dynasties in the south (420â589)
- Jiangsu - Economy
- China - The Dong (Eastern) Jin (317â420) and later dynasties in the south (420â589)
- silk
Which industries supported Nanjingâs economy during the Six Dynasties period?
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Nanjing
Skyline of central Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China.
During the Six Dynasties period (220â589 CE), Nanjingâs economy was supported by a combination of bountiful harvests and several key industries, including tea, silk, papermaking, and pottery.1
The pottery industry, in particular, experienced significant growth during this time, stimulated by an increasing population in the lower Yangtze valley. Kilns in the region produced stoneware, such as the olive-brown or greenish-glazed Yue ware, which has been discovered in 3rd- and 4th-century tombs in the Nanjing area. Additionally, the silk industry was a vital component of the broader Chinese economy during this era, as sericulture had long been an established feature of the rural economy.23