The chemical compositions of bodies and glazes of some ceramic shreds from the three famous white porcelain kiln sites-Ding, Xing and Gongyi were analyzed by using ED-XRF in order to compare the recipes and technologies used in their manufacture.The results indicate that the primary material used for construction of the bodies is a high firing kaolinitic clay, the main clay type used for making white porcelain in ancient times in Northern China. Feldspar was used as a flux in the bodies of Xing ware of the Sui Dynasty, thus the Xing kilns invented ‘transmitting porcelain’ by including these feldspathic materials in the recipes for making the bodies. After the Sui Dynasty, feldspar was replaced by a kind of calcareous material. Calcareous materials were also the main flux used in the bodies of Ding wares. The main type of flux added to the body clay of Gongyi ware was feldspar. The most important flux in the glazes of all three of these wares is CaO, which was obtained from wood ash or limestone. However, the glazes of Xing and Ding wares are much lower in CaO, compared with Gongyi wares. The comparative results suggest that the manufacturing technologies of these three famous kilns interacted with each other. Specifically, they show that the recipes used for bodies and glazes in early stage Ding wares were similar to those of Xing wares, which indicate that the Ding potters might have learned much from the Xing potters.