Jingdezhen may have produced pottery as early as the 6th century CE, though it is named after the reign name of Emperor Zhenzong (997-1022) in whose reign it became a major kiln site. By the 14th century it had become the largest centre of production of Chinese porcelain, which it has remained, increasing its dominance in subsequent centuries. From the Ming period onwards, kilns in Jingdezhen were controlled by the emperor, making imperial porcelain in large quantity for the court and the emperor to give as gift.