Jingdezhen - Porcelain Capital of China 景德镇–中国瓷器之都

瓷器 ciqi. 景德镇 Jingdezhen, formerly known as the “Porcelain Capital ” of China, is one of China’s most famous cultural and historic cities. It is situated in the northeast part of Jiangxi Province of East China. Endowed by nature with a network of rivers and hills, Jingdezhen is a municipality directly under the provincial government with a total area of 5,200 square kilometers and a population of 1.4 million. Leping City, Fuliang County, Changjiang District and Zhushan District are under its jurisdiction, among which Changjiang and Zhushan districts make up the urban area with a land area of 124 square kilometers and a population of 380,000.

Ever since the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), with old names of Xinping and Fuliang, the seat of Jingdezhen was a town. People there began to produce ceramics as early as in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). In the Jingde reign (1004-1007) of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Emperor Zhaoheng decreed to produce the porcelain used by the imperial court. From then on, people began to call this place as Jingdezhen. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Jingdezhen and other three towns, Zhuxianzhen in Henan Province, Hankouzhen in Hubei Province and Fushanzhen in Guangdong Province, were listed as the Top Four Towns of China.

“The best porcelain of the world is in China, and China’s best is in Jingdezhen”, the Chinese writer Guo Moruo once said. The ceramic industry experienced a long-time development at Jingdezhen. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the technique started to mature. Jingdezhen became a major porcelain producer in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The kiln in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) boasted the highest porcelain-making techniques. Thereafter, the Liangfu porcelain office was set up. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it has been the center of the ceramic industry. In the Ming and Qing dynasties when skills became perfected and the general quality being more refined; governmental kilns were set up to cater exclusively to the need of the royal families. In the long-time development, the artists and craftsmen in Jingdezhen brought their full talent into play and created numerous masterpieces. Jingdezhen porcelain has formed four special features, which are “white like jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, sound like a chime.” With its elegant form and unique technique, the art of Jindezhen porcelain is a bright jade in the Chinese civilization.

Jingdezhen, the ancient porcelain city, has been revived with new vigor now. Besides the porcelain industry, Jingdezhe has also developed other industries, such as automobile, refrigerator and food production. In recent years, Jingdezhen made remarkable achievements in industries like mechanics, electronics, chemistry, aviation, building materials and pharmacy. Encouraged by the opening up policy and the market economy, Jingdezhen has developed into an industrialized city while keeping its title of the “Porcelain Capital” of China.

The unique porcelain culture of Jingdezhen is attributed to the abundant porcelain relics, the valuable porcelain art, the excellent porcelain techniques and the intelligent porcelain artists. This culture was, is and will be a treasure for Jingdezhen’s tourist industry.