During renovation work at Beijing's Forbidden City in 2007, a glazed tile was discovered bearing the inscription 'Mazhuang Shantou Su Style'. Research confirmed this tile was made by the Su Family of Taiyuan city, Shanxi Province. Since 1522, during the Ming Dynasty, glazed tiles for the roofs of China's imperial palace were made by the Su family.
Shanxi glazed tiles are representative of traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Raw materials are hand molded then fired, colored and heated at a high temperature of over 1,000 degrees, they are finished off at a lower temperature of 900 degrees. The tiles are mostly used for roof decorations of imperial palaces, temples and so on.
Su Yongjun devotes all his time and energy to glazed tile production. When he was young, he didn't learn how to make the tiles but instead chose to work in the transportation industry.
