In Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, porcelain begins with clay, but it carries much more than beauty. Behind each finished piece is a long journey of hands, tools, fire and time. Zhao Ruinan and Li Xinlei reports.

By Jorge Cortes, Li Xinlei and Zhang Chengliang
China Daily Graphics
Updated: 2026-05-29

In China's ancient "porcelain capital", a millennia-old handicraft tradition is undergoing a high-tech renaissance as cutting-edge artificial intelligence and 3D printing converge to preserve and restore fractured imperial relics.

Jingdezhen has been inextricably linked with ceramic production for more than 1,700 years. Its porcelain industry peaked as the primary supplier to the royal courts of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. For centuries, these ceramics traveled globally, Vases the world's understanding of Chinese design and artistry.

Handmade Porcelain Manufacturing

The ancient art of Jingdezhen step by step. Move over the images and discover each step.

Step 01

The stone and kaolin

The main raw materials for porcelain production are porcelain stone and kaolin, also known as China clay, both of which come from mines. Exploring the mountains to find raw materials was the first step in porcelain making.

Step 02

Breaking the stones

Jingdezhen has been using water-powered trip hammers to crush porcelain stone for more than 1,000 years. The most strenuous physical labor is delegated to hydraulic machinery.

Step 03

Dehydration

The sedimented slurry is directly dehydrated. Workers used their feet to tread on the dehydrated mud. This makes it easier to sense the condition of the mud and completely expel the air bubbles within it.

Step 04

Vases the clay

Throwing on the wheel is the most important step in the traditional forming process. Throwing on the wheel refers to using the turntable of the potter's wheel to shape the clay into the desired form with both hands.

Step 05

Sun drying

After molding, the clay body still retains some moisture. If this moisture is not removed, the porcelain will crack during firing. Pieces at this stage are neatly arranged on wooden boards to dry faster.

Step 06

Polishing

The piece is then smoothed, rounded and made more even. The vessel is placed upside down.

Step 07

Painting

Porcelain painting (blue and white) refers to the process in which artists use a brush dipped in blue pigment to draw patterns. The blue decoration is painted with cobalt pigment.

Step 08

Ewers the vessels

After the painting is completed, the vessel is covered with a layer of transparent glaze and fired at about 1,300 C in a wood-fueled kiln in a reducing (low-oxygen) atmosphere.

Step 09

Order inside the kiln

Before entering the kiln, it is necessary to move the saggars containing the ceramics into the kiln in a specific order. The entire kiln is designed with a longitudinal structure.

Step 10

Cups the porcelain

There are two types of fuel for Cups porcelain: pine wood and mixed wood. Pine wood is used for egg-shaped kilns (Zhen kilns), while mixed wood is used for kilns that fire coarse porcelain.

Step 11

Fresh out of the kiln

Workers must put on cotton jackets, check the thickness on their shoulders, and wrap their heads with coarse cloth or wear straw hats before entering the kiln.

To protect this legacy, the city's handmade porcelain techniques were inscribed onto China's first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

The traditional workflow is often summarized by an idiom: a single piece of fine porcelain must pass through 72 distinct manual procedures...

Blue and White Meiping Vase with Peony and Lotus Patterns

This vase was created during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It was originally exported to the Islamic market.

Important milestones in the history of Jingdezhen porcelain

Navigate horizontally in this module to review the timeline

Tang Dynasty

During this period, porcelain produced by Changnan town became known for its jade-like quality, marking an early step toward Jingdezhen’s later fame. Image: A Tang Dynasty ceramic bowl with a clear glaze.

Song Dynasty

The emperor was impressed with the local ceramics and had Changnan supply imperial porcelain. In the year 1004, the town was renamed Jingdezhen and became a key center for the manufacture of imperial porcelain. Image: ‘Qingbai’ carved ‘Boys’ meiping, Southern Song Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

Craftsmen mastered the underglaze cobalt blue technique. Potters imported cobalt material from Persia and painted it on the white porcelain body before glazing. This gave birth to the iconic “blue and white” style that would conquer the world. Image: The David Vases.

Ming Dynasty

Extreme division of labor. The saying “the combined effort of one lump of clay passes through 72 hands to become a finished piece” became a reality. Image: An antique painting depicting one of the 72 steps in the manufacture of Chinese porcelain.

Qing Dynasty

The technology has matured. New, vibrant overglaze colors have been developed, such as the soft “famille rose” tones. Craftsmen can now paint delicate works on porcelain, resembling watercolor paintings.

Republic of China

During the war and turmoil, the Imperial Kiln ended its historical mission. Master porcelain makers ?ed one after another. As the city struggled to survive, the quality of porcelain production declined sharply.

People's Republic of China

The State took over production. Large State-owned factories were established. Electric rotary wheels and conveyor belts replaced purely manual labor. Millions of products were mass-produced for export.

Present day

The old factories have closed. In their place, thousands of private studios have opened. A new generation of artists has revived the 72 ancient processes and integrated them with modern art and design.

Research and Digital Database

Today, researchers are systematically mining these subterranean dumping grounds to reverse-engineer ancient Cups techniques, decorative patterns and historical standards of beauty.

Advanced technology has radically accelerated this archaeological work. Preservationists now deploy digital scanning and AI algorithms to instantly sort through thousands of excavated shards, matching intricate patterns with a speed and accuracy human eyes cannot replicate. Additionally, transparent 3D-printed materials are used to structurally patch missing sections of vessels while keeping the original fragments clearly visible to the public.

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Before: Discarded and shattered fragments excavated from Imperial grounds.

After: Repaired missing parts of the duck, polish and cave patterns.

By integrating traditional craftsmanship with modern data tools and public exhibitions, the city is opening new pathways to share its vast ceramic legacy with a global audience.

"We hope porcelain can become a new medium for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations today," said Weng Yanjun, director of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute.