Jingdezhen: capital of china, not China

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By CGTN's Chang Ting and Min-Zhui Lee

Do you know what the capital of china is? Not the nation of China but "china" with a lower case “c” – china as in porcelain?

Jingdezhen, with a population of 1.6 million, is located in east China's Jiangxi Province. It is not just any old prefectural-level city, it is a place that lives and breathes porcelain, and has been doing so for more than a thousand years.

It was during the Song dynasty that Jingdezhen became famous. First, it was for its sculpted, translucent and jade-like ceramics known as the distinctive qingbai or “bluish-white” porcelain.

Jingdezhen Porcelain /CGTN Photo

Then, it was famous for its imperial qinghua porcelain, heavy glazed vases stencilled with striking blue patterns, fit for the emperor.

During the 14th century, Marco Polo was the first to transport porcelain to Europe, and soon, there was international demand for Jingdezhen wares.

Meantime, domestically, more varied and exquisite styles developed. Porcelain was a booming industry in Jingdezhen, from the mining of mineral constituents to the master craftsmanship of its creators.

Famille-rose Porcelain /CGTN Photo

These days, Jingdezhen’s economy may no longer depend on porcelain, but porcelain remains the essence of its core and conscience.

The culture of porcelain is kept alive by elderly artisans at sites like Guyao, meaning “Ancient Kilns”, a Qing dynasty workshop still in operation today.

1183km