JINGDEZHEN, China, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Long before globalization entered the lexicon, Jingdezhen, a Chinese town some 500 km from Shanghai, had already won worldwide renown.
For centuries, its kilns produced exquisite bowls and radiant vases that adorned tables in Persia, palaces in Turkey and salons in France.
Tempered in the kiln of time, the city is now emerging with a new glaze, a place where veteran masters pass on fragile secrets, young artists arrive with bold sketchbooks, and foreign creators stay longer than they ever planned.
A TOWN OF INHERITANCE
Chinese porcelain has long been prized not only for its beauty, but for its discipline -- a balance of fire and water, inspiration and patience. That balance still depends on masters who teach more than craft.
Liu Wei, 63, a national grand master of porcelain painting, considers his apprentices his finest legacy. Duan Wenxiang, now in his early thirties, is one of them.
After the death of his father, Duan was sent to Liu’s workshop to learn a skill. He arrived as "a mischievous boy," testing boundaries with laziness and clever excuses. Liu responded not with anger, but with the firm hands of a potter, patiently centering him on the wheel of discipline. "First you shape the person, then the art," Liu told Duan.
Over time, Duan learned to steady not only clay, but himself. He has since become a prize-winning artisan, painting Beijing Olympic mascots on porcelain and creating popular designs such as shimmering pink leopards.
Here, artists honor tradition while steering it toward new horizons. Lyu Yating, a native of Jingdezhen, returned from overseas in her early twenties to join her family’s workshop. She mastered the intricate art of translucent Linglong porcelain, but refused to simply replicate what came before.
"My idea was to blend porcelain with new materials and bolder designs, but the senior masters didn’t like it at first," Lyu recalled.
Her persistence led her to refine what others had long overlooked. Tiny bubbles in the latticework, for instance, were long considered inevitable. "I felt they marred the beauty," she said. "This year, I finally solved it. I’m so proud of that."
Veteran artisans warmed to her innovations, offering suggestions instead of resistance. They saw that Lyu wasn’t dismissing tradition, but perfecting it.
"Craftsmanship isn’t only about the hand. It’s about the mind -- the constant drive for better," Lyu said.
Her workshop now blends handcraft and automation, accuracy with efficiency. That balance, she believes, is what keeps Jingdezhen alive. "New trends can become the traditions of tomorrow," Lyu added.
A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY
What drives Jingdezhen today is not just its locals. Over the past decade, some 136,000 people have moved to the town, 80 percent of them under 30.
Three years ago, Wang Nanhao, then 29, left a job in Shandong with his ceramics-graduate girlfriend. With 10,000 yuan (about 1,400 U.S. dollars) in seed money, they began painting and selling porcelain panel paintings. Today, they earn a steady six-figure income -- a surprise to parents who once warned against such a risky choice.
"Jingdezhen is friendly to young people starting with little but determination," Wang said. "Opportunities are everywhere."
Hou Yue, a graduate of Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, made a bold decision six years ago: she turned down an offer from a top U.S. art academy to move south. She and her husband now run a thriving studio.
"Here, you can live off your craft," Hou said. "Even if you’re not a social butterfly or a business expert, your skill can carry you forward."
The city makes room for such dreams. In the Taoxichuan art district, studios rent for just a few hundred yuan (some 50 dollars) per month. What began with 55 artists a decade ago has grown into a community of more than 31,000 creators.
"This is an ancient city that stays young -- a historic place buzzing with youthful energy," said Liu Zili, board chairman of the state-owned company behind Taoxichuan’s revival. "Everyone here, no matter their age or background, wears a calm, confident smile."
Zhang Manyu, whose porcelain pieces inscribed with Chinese phrases like "Peace and Joy" and "Dreams Come True" have become tourist favorites.
"Work hard, and you’ll be seen," she chuckled, as she and her business partner prepped for a night market.
A SPACE TO EXPERIENCE LIFE
Jingdezhen also draws global artists through residency programs, becoming a crossroads of culture and craft. At the heart of this exchange is the Taoxichuan art district, which has so far hosted over 4,000 artists from 58 countries and regions.
Vera Tineo, a U.S. potter, shares a studio with other international creators. In the midst of a conversation with Xinhua, one of her half-finished ceramic pieces slipped and shattered on the floor. But Tineo responded with calm and composure.
"It had already broken a few times ... Each time, I pieced it back together," she said. "As artists, we work with what happens."
The piece, a groom-shaped work honoring her mother’s care, now bears visible repairs, resembling bamboo. Tineo said she cherished such "happy accidents," especially given bamboo’s symbolic meaning of integrity and growth in Chinese culture.
"It takes form from what it’s been through," she said while continuing to glue the wounds. "Just like how we go through life."
"I’m also interested in bringing my culture here, and see how we can share. We are all like a global family. At the end of the day, we should care for each other."
In Jingdezhen, the search for form stretches across generations and continents. Masters guide with steady hands. Young locals bend tradition into bold new shapes. Newcomers find new lives. And visiting artists turn broken pieces into stories. Everyone discovers a rhythm uniquely their own.
Here, art and life are inseparable, and every form -- whether delicate, resilient, bold, or unexpected -- finds its place. Enditem
(Xinhua correspondents Lai Xing, Huang Haoran, Zhu Yunuo, Chen Yushan, Zhang Dongyang, Chen Pu also contributed to this story.)
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0928/c90000-20372382.html