A new window into China

European visitors would pick up the porcelain pieces, turn them over in their hands and study the brushwork in disbelief. "They simply couldn't believe that human hands could produce something so precise," Fu says.

Although Jingdezhen is celebrated in China as the "Porcelain Capital" and its wares once traveled along maritime trade routes to royal courts across Europe, many overseas consumers know little about how the pieces are made.

"Only when people spend several days in Jingdezhen, make pottery themselves and experience the process firsthand, can they truly understand why this city has produced 1,000 years of ceramic culture," she says.

Recent visa facilitation measures have encouraged more international visitors to stay longer in Jingdezhen rather than treat it as a brief stopover, she says.

Many now take part in pottery workshops, tour historical kiln sites and explore the city's ceramic markets, gaining a deeper appreciation of the craftsmanship behind every finished piece.

The city's outreach has also expanded through international exhibitions and trade fairs.

Among the products on display in Beijing was a Turkish-style tea glass decorated with Turkish textile motifs, illustrating how Jingdezhen artisans are adapting traditional craftsmanship for overseas markets.

The product has generated nearly 2 million yuan ($295,000) in sales in Turkiye, Fu says.

Potential market

More than 2,000 kilometers to the south, where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea, Xu Fengjuan has witnessed firsthand the growing international interest in Guangzhou's Nansha district.

"When we first started attending international events, people were curious, but they knew little about China's yacht industry," says Xu, executive deputy general manager of Guangzhou Nansha Marina.