Imperial Kiln Golden Brick: A centuries-old legacy of turning clay into gold

2024 marks the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's passing. James John Curtis, a Soochow Foreign Language School teacher, has lived in China for several years, but this is his first visit to the Imperial Kiln Golden Brick Museum. The "golden bricks" are neither made of gold nor golden in color, but bricks specialized for royal indoor flooring. In the Chinese Five Elements theory, the character for "gold" symbolizes strength and solidity, representing the eternal stability of the nation. Despite the passage of centuries and numerous historical changes, they still shine brilliantly, astounding visitors.