The Porcelain Capital of China--Jingdezhen

Jingdezhen is known as the "Porcelain Capital" and is located in northeastern Jiangxi. During the Jingde Period (1004-1007) of the Southern Song dynasty, emperor Jingde decreed all the pieces made for court to be marked 'made in the Jingde period and subsequently the city changed its name from Xinpin to Jingdezhen.

For centuries, the city has been considered to be China's most important center for porcelain production. Ceramics were produced here as far back as the Han dynasty (206-220BC). The imperial porcelain was so exquisite that it was described as being "as white as jade, as bright as a mirror, as thin as paper, with a sound as clear as a bell".

Today, Jingdezhen remains a national center for porcelain production. The most famous types of porcelain from Jingdezhen are the blue and white porcelain, which has been produced since the Yuan dynasty (1280-1368AD) and the rice-patterned porcelain that was introduced in the Song dynasty.

While in this city, tourists can visit one of the many pottery factories. The Museum of Ceramic History has items found among the ancient kiln sites and also has workshops demonstrating porcelain production techniques.

In the Jingdezhen Ceramic History Museum, visitors learn the history behind the city, famed for its ceramics. The museum houses not only ceramic artworks from different dynasties, which are of great value, but also ancient ceramic workshops. This is where visitors can learn the whole process of how ceramics were produced in the ancient times. Not only that, they can also have a go at making ceramics on their own.