China Focus: Revival of porcelain capital

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-13 10:03:27|Editor: Liangyu
Video PlayerClose

By Xinhua writers Cao Kai, Shen Yang and Wu Zhonghao

JINGDEZHEN, Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- For centuries, the most coveted porcelain from China came out of Jingdezhen's workshops, fashioned from clay made smooth by trained hands, fired in kilns and then transported across the globe.

The works, notably the blue-and-white vases and jade-green celadon bowls, graced the courts of the British, Persians and French. This was one of China's first globalized commodities and greatest export to the world.

The industrial revolution in the West ended China's supremacy, as cheaper porcelain born out of mass production took over the market. The fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and wars in the early 20th century broke the artisan culture and lowered its status in global trade.

The craftsmanship, however, never left Jingdezhen, a river town in the eastern province of Jiangxi, and the tradition is being revived at the roots. Studios and workshops have popped up around town and in the surrounding valleys. Some of the new artisans hope to profit from their skills since the country's middle-class boom brings a greater demand for porcelain.

Ryan Labar, an American ceramic artist, said coming to Jingdezhen is like "a son returning home."

The 43-year-old set up a studio three years ago in Taoxichuan, a renovated porcelain factory that unifies industrial heritage, ceramic and arts-crafts galleries and studios as well as restaurants, cafeterias and hotels.

Partnering with a young Chinese businessman, Labar established Lab Artz, a 260-square-meter workshop where he plans to house more artists and offer ceramics classes.

"There is a can-do attitude in China that pushes new ideas into reality," said Labar, who is fond of using traditional methods to make contemporary art.

Labar said his works, unlike traditional Chinese works that have concrete shapes, are very abstract. Though he has not sold a piece in Jingdezhen, his works are a hit in museums, hotels and galleries in Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with the highest piece priced at 100,000 yuan (14,515 U.S. dollars).

There is a term for young artists like Labar: jingpiao, or floating population in Jingdezhen.

According to Zhong Zhisheng, the city's Party secretary, 30,000 jingpiao are currently living in Jingdezhen, including 5,000 foreigners.

The city now boasts of 6,773 ceramic enterprises and workshops. Some 150,000 people work in the porcelain-related industry, nearly a quarter of the urban population.

"Jingdezhen is still the global ceramic innovation and exchange center, " said Zhong, "The dream of revival is always in the hearts of the Jingdezhen people."

TRANSITION ON THE WAY

Although there is a 1,700-year history of porcelain making, the industry remained largely hand-made until 1958 when the first mechanized porcelain making plant went into operation.

Jingdezhen was once an important porcelain export base which suffered from drastic drops in profits in the 1990s when the state-owned factories lost their edge over their coastal counterparts who had better equipment and technology.

Workers were laid off, and factories closed one after the other. Yuzhou Porcelain Factory, where Taoxichuan was built, was one of them.

Piles of white porcelain plates under the trees beside a grandeur hotel in Taoxichuan tell the sad story of the once flourishing state-owned factories.

"These are the last batch of ceramic products made by the Yuzhou Porcelain Factory. Most of them are inferior products," said Wang Songshou, former head of the factory.

More than 60,000 technicians and workers left the city and fled to other porcelain making areas in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a city that relies on porcelain, Jingdezhen fell into a recession.

To continue the hand-made porcelain tradition or shift to construction and bathroom ceramics like in the coastal areas was a tough decision for the city.

Like many other Chinese cities, many obsolete factories and old alleys were demolished in the first 10 years of the 21st century for real estate development, a cash cow for the local government.

In 2011, administrators began to realize the high-rise buildings would not bring lasting prosperity.

"Each alley and chimney are precious resources and fortunes recording the city's history," said Liu Zili, general manager of Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group and former deputy head of the municipal porcelain industry development bureau."You will never have another Jingdezhen that owns a millennium-old culture."

The local government invited global planning experts to seek a path to the city's future. The abandoned factories have been turned into incubators that attract capital, information, technology and talents.

Taoxichuan, where 22 old workshops with varying style structures and kilns were located, was renovated into an art zone. Over 450 million yuan has been invested in Taoxichuan since 2013, turning it into an art community where over 5,000 young people live.

To protect and enhance its unique hand-made porcelain industry, the city opened a porcelain industrial park named Mingfangyuan in 2015 to house time-honored porcelain manufacturing workshops, both for production and tourism.

Zhu Xiaoping, an eighth-generation inheritor of traditional porcelain making, was among the first batch of masters to move to his new villa-like workshop from his humble one in the downtown.

With a formula inherited from his predecessors, Zhu successfully replicated the rough red glaze, which was extremely rare even in the ancient royal kilns. Its refined noble character quickly appealed to a large number of collectors and has been chosen as China's national gifts for foreign leaders.

"Porcelain flourished when China was strong. It went into decline when China was weak," said Zhu. "Thanks to government support for craftsmen, Jingdezhen is flourishing again."

Meanwhile, the city has extended the value chain to the production of fine ceramics and special ceramics that can be used in aerospace and electronics manufacturing. In 2017, the production value of the city's porcelain industry reached 37.2 billion yuan (5.4 billion U.S. dollars), eight times that of 10 years ago and 263 times that of in 1978.

EXPLORATION FOR THE FUTURE

Some 1,200 students, urban elites, foreign tourists and even entertainment celebrities, swarmed to Jinkeng this year, a small village eight km to the east of Jingdezhen. The tranquil village, surrounded by mountains, boasts elements that intrigue people's curiosity such as fields and gardens, an ancient village, classes, archaeology and porcelain.

Huang Wei, a doctoral student of art history from Tsinghua University and former lecturer at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute, discovered 15 porcelain kilns sites in 2014 in Jinkeng, dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). She then set up an eco-agriculture cooperative and a Dongjiao (east suburb) School, spreading the knowledge of heritage protection and also allowing local farmers to benefit from the preservation of history.

"Development on the basis of culture is the future direction for Jingdezhen, while education is the key," said Huang, who provided simulated archaeology excavation and porcelain repair classes, farming and porcelain making experiential activities and sales of organic farm produce.

"What we are doing here is trying to integrate the porcelain production, study, research and tourism," said Huang, adding that Jinkeng is an epitome of Jingdezhen's future development.

Huang's exploration on the integration of heritage protection and community development was highly lauded by European scholars at a seminar on heritage protection at the University of Copenhagen in December last year.

Liu Zili, who is also a key planner of Jingdezhen's porcelain industry development, pins high hopes on the commercialization of Jingdezhen's unique culture.

"The porcelain making tradition and culture have never been interrupted in the past millennium. This is what porcelain lovers around the world pay tribute to," said Liu.

"Jingdezhen should be an art center for the world," said Liu."We don't expect Taoxichuan to be a crowded scenic spot but a paradise for craftsmen, designers and artists."

Taoxichuan has already seen the potential of cashing in on culture. Its sales revenue reached 101 million yuan in 2018, up 36 percent year on year.

"We have only renovated one factory, and there are nine more to come," said Liu.

Besides keeping the tradition, Liu said the introduction of modern technology is inevitable.

The Yishan Industrial Park, a subsidiary of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group, imported seven automated production lines from Germany, which can offer mass production services for 300 hand-made porcelain workshops, which in turn can offer innovative designs.

"Our future products will be tailored and smartly produced with 3D printing and high-pressure grouting technologies, which can meet the demands of the young generation," said Liu.

The bold exploration for future growth in Jingdezhen has impressed Takeshi Yasuda, a renowned Japanese potter who has lived in the city for 14 years.

"The future of Jingdezhen lies not on export but on meeting the rising demand of the Chinese," said the 75-year-old potter."Jingdezhen has walked its own path in the post-industrial society." (He Yuxin and Zhang Xinxin also contributed to the story)

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001377399791
百姓彩票 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票