Yixing Factory #1

''Fang Yuan Pai' (aka square circle brand) teapots were produced in Jiangsu Province of China during the late 50s to the late 90s, during this period China was in transition from 'Closed Door' economic to adaptation of 'Open Door' policy advocated by Deng Xiaoping. In the late 50s, a group of craftsmen formed the Factory no.1 and started selling teapots at the Gouzhou Trading Exhibition, the teapots were exported to north-east and south-east Asia including Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. They used the best natural material and craftsmanship in exchange for foreign currencies. However due to economic size, the price was relatively inexpensive, it is quite common to see this teapot was offered as a give-away upon customer purchases oolong tea.

'Fang Yuan Pai' teaware is significant in a Chinese teapot collection. One reason that makes the teapots unique is that this brand of teaware was authorized for production, where only state-owned factories allowed to use Yixing clay and export these products to overseas. Ironically, growing can destroy the brand, the product's quality control has deteriorated since the mid-80s when collectors talk about F1 pots, most of them only focus on the pre-77 period so-called golden age products.