Jingdezhen turns ceramic heritage into opportunity

Protecting world heritage requires more than preserving historic buildings. It also means keeping traditional skills alive, encouraging innovation and fostering exchanges among different cultures, experts said at the 2026 Jingdezhen Forum in Jiangxi province on Monday.

Held under the theme "Dialogue between World Heritage and Civilizations", the forum brought together more than 300 guests from about 25 countries, including diplomats, scholars and ceramic artists. Discussions focused on how heritage can remain relevant to contemporary life while promoting mutual understanding among cultures.

Tim Winter, a professor at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, said Jingdezhen could offer valuable lessons to other historic ceramic cities seeking to revive their industries while preserving traditional craftsmanship.

In his presentation, Winter described Jingdezhen as "a model for urban regeneration". Citing Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom, a former ceramics hub that has struggled with industrial decline, he said Jingdezhen's experience could help other cities find new opportunities by building on their ceramic heritage.

Winter also called for closer cooperation among ceramic-producing cities, museums, artists and businesses worldwide, saying such partnerships could strengthen cultural exchanges and create new opportunities for innovation.

On July 25, the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 61st World Heritage property. The five-part property traces the development of porcelain production from the 10th to the 19th century, encompassing raw material sourcing, innovations in kiln design and the organization of large-scale production.

The city's international appeal is also growing. Jingdezhen received 83.6 percent more inbound visitors in the first eight months of 2026 than in the same period a year earlier, according to the municipal government. Domestic tourist visits rose 9.7 percent in the first half of 2026.

For Li Jianshen, founder of Jingdezhen Sanbao International Ceramic Art Village, heritage protection begins with keeping traditions connected to daily life.

He described the sound of a traditional water-powered mill still operating in Sanbao as the "heartbeat" of Jingdezhen's thousand-year ceramic culture. Unlike an exhibit in a museum, the mill remains part of the village's living heritage, he said.

Over nearly three decades, Sanbao has welcomed more than 1,000 artists from around the world, many of whom have lived and worked alongside local residents. Some villagers have even picked up a little English through these exchanges, Li said.

However, he cautioned that excessive development could damage the landscape and traditional ways of life that attract artists to the village in the first place.

Norman Bin Muhamad, Malaysia's ambassador to China, drew comparisons between Jingdezhen and Malacca and George Town, historic Malaysian trading cities inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.

While the Malaysian cities developed as trading ports, Jingdezhen grew into a major center of porcelain production. Their histories demonstrate that international trade carried not only goods but also knowledge, artistic ideas and new ways of seeing the world, he said.

The forum coincides with the 2026 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo, which opened on Oct 18 and runs through Oct 22.

zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn