Jingdezhen redefines living heritage via cross-cultural dialogue, youth innovation

As a newly inscribed World Heritage Site and China's millennia-old porcelain capital, Jingdezhen, a city in east China's Jiangxi Province, is exploring ways to balance heritage preservation, industrial vitality and inclusive cross-cultural exchange. These key topics were at the heart of the 2026 Jingdezhen Forum: Dialogue between World Heritage and Civilizations, which gathered global heritage experts, practitioners and young creators to share insights on world heritage protection and dialogue among civilizations.

Tim Winter, professor at the National University of Singapore, views ceramics as a powerful medium for cross-cultural exchange. He pointed out that Jingdezhen's layered archaeological and industrial heritage offers replicable experience for global heritage governance. The city’s efforts to integrate ancient craftsmanship with modern creativity can inspire heritage sites worldwide.

"This long-standing heritage needs to connect to today's creativity, new forms of economic and cultural production, as well as young people's ideas of ceramic heritage," Winter said. He also noted that while AI and 3D printing empower modern ceramic creation, human craftsmanship and artistic expression remain indispensable to preserve the soul of traditional crafts. He added that linking time-honored industries with modern creative economies helps attract global youth to inherit and innovate traditional heritage.

Tony Brown, Orchid Awards jury member and lifetime professor at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, a frequent visitor to Jingdezhen, stressed the significance of grassroots cultural exchanges. Such interactions deliver authentic, nuanced stories about China to the world, breaking stereotyped perceptions.

"Tangible ceramic works and in-depth people-to-people connections allow global audiences to understand China in a more accessible way," Brown said.

Alongside the main forum, a Gen-Z roundtable focused on youth's unique role in inheriting and communicating world heritage through art and digital creation.

Caleb Dodoo, a Ghana-born ceramic artist and one of Jingdezhen's "Yang Jingpiao" – foreign creators living and creating in the city – came to Jingdezhen out of passion for Chinese ceramics. Years of hands-on practice have enabled him to blend African cultural elements with traditional Chinese ceramic art.

"Culture is dynamic. Cross-cultural fusion enriches our creations, bridges cultural gaps and helps pass down ceramic techniques across borders," Dodoo said.

The roundtable also explored how creative digital content can connect global youth with traditional heritage. Polina Konovalova, a Russian Gen-Z student at Tsinghua University, shared her views on reshaping global youth's perception of heritage.

"Many overseas young people regard heritage as static museum relics, but Jingdezhen boasts living heritage that thrives in daily creation," Konovalova said. She believes Gen Z's curiosity and digital sensitivity can revitalise heritage communication, with short informative videos about ceramic craftsmanship and history effectively engaging global young audiences.

From senior scholars to young international creators, the forum highlights Jingdezhen's core value as a living heritage site. It inherits ancient craftsmanship, embraces modern innovation, and fosters equal dialogue between civilizations through clay and fire. Far from static relics, Jingdezhen's world heritage keeps evolving via academic exchanges, cross-border art creation and youth-led innovation, enabling diverse civilizations to communicate and inspire each other.