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2026.04.23 15:07 GMT+8

The lasting heat of an old kiln in Xinjiang

Updated 2026.04.23 15:07 GMT+8
CGTN

Clay products are seen in Tursun Rustam's workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

Uygur pottery artisan Tursun Rustam is seen in his workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

Clay pots are seen in Tursun Rustam's workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

Clay pots are seen in Tursun Rustam's workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

Clay products are seen in Tursun Rustam's workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

Clay pots are seen in Tursun Rustam's workshop in the ancient city of Kashi, Xinjiang. /CGTN

In a workshop in northwest's China Xinjiang, Uygur artisan Tursun Rustam keeps an ancient craft alive.

Recognized as a national inheritor of an item on China's intangible cultural heritage list, Tursun comes from a family of potters. He began learning the trade as a child and has since mastered every step of the traditional process – from selecting raw clay and preparing it by hand, to molding, carving, glazing and firing in the kiln.

His work follows a distinctive Uygur technique that relies on molds rather than the potter's wheel, a method passed down through generations. Tursun has spent years preserving this approach, insisting on entirely handmade production and staying true to its original form.

The pieces he creates are both functional and expressive, blending everyday use with decorative patterns rooted in Uygur culture.

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