Painted purple clay teapots made in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

An exhibition showcasing delicate Yixing zisha (or purple clay) teapots is being held at Taicang Museum, Jiangsu province from March 1 to 24.

A total of 110 exhibits are on display, including purple clay teapots made in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and purple clay ceramics made by modern masters and the tools used to make them.

The county-level city of Yixing in Jiangsu's Wuxi city has a pottery-making history of more than 2,400 years, with the Yixing purple clay teapot being its most famous product. Just as you'd love to pick out several pieces of porcelain in Jingdezhen, you wouldn't think of leaving Wuxi without having a look at its purple clay teapots.

Purple clay is a kind of un-glazed pottery. When people use the purple clay teapot to make tea, it will not only maintain the tea's aroma but also keep its color and taste for a long time.

As a purple clay teapot can absorb tea's smell, the longer it is used, the mellower the tea it brews will taste. Therefore, the purple clay teapot makes an ideal tea set for tea tasters.