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Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen, formerly known as the "Porcelain Capital " of China, is one of
China's most famous cultural and historic cities. It is situated in the
northeast part of Jiangxi Province of East China. Endowed by nature with a
network of rivers and hills, Jingdezhen is a municipality directly under the
provincial government with a total area of 5,200 square kilometers and a
population of 1.4 million. Leping City, Fuliang County, Changjiang District and
Zhushan District are under its jurisdiction, among which Changjiang and Zhushan
districts make up the urban area with a land area of 124 square kilometers and a
population of 380,000.
Ever since the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), with old names of Xinping and
Fuliang, the seat of Jingdezhen was a town. People there began to produce
ceramics as early as in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). In the Jingde reign
(1004-1007) of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Emperor Zhaoheng decreed to produce
the porcelain used by the imperial court. From then on, people began to call
this place as Jingdezhen. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Jingdezhen and other
three towns, Zhuxianzhen in Henan Province, Hankouzhen in Hubei Province and
Fushanzhen in Guangdong Province, were listed as the Top Four Towns of
China.
The best porcelain of the world is in China, and China's best is in
Jingdezhen, the Chinese writer Guo Moruo once said. The ceramic industry
experienced a long-time development in Jingdezhen. During the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), the technique started to mature. Jingdezhen became a major porcelain
producer in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The kiln in the Yuan Dynasty
(1271-1368) boasted the highest porcelain-making techniques. Thereafter, the
Liangfu porcelain office was set up. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it has
been the center of the ceramic industry. In the Ming and Qing dynasties when
skills became perfected and the general quality being more refined, governmental
kilns were set up to cater exclusively to the need of the royal families. In the
long-time development, the artists and craftsmen in Jingdezhen brought their
full talent into play and created numerous masterpieces. Jingdezhen porcelain
has formed four special features, which are white like jade, bright as a mirror,
thin as paper, sound like a chime. With its elegant form and unique technique,
the art of Jindezhen porcelain is a bright jade in the Chinese civilization.
Jingdezhen, the ancient porcelain city, has been revived with new vigor now.
Besides the porcelain industry, Jingdezhe has also developed other industries,
such as automobile, refrigerator and food production. In recent years,
Jingdezhen made remarkable achievements in industries like mechanics,
electronics, chemistry, aviation, building materials and pharmacy. Encouraged by
the opening up policy and the market economy, Jingdezhen has developed into an
industrialized city while keeping its title of "the Porcelain Capital" of China.
The unique porcelain culture of Jingdezhen is attributed to the abundant
porcelain relics, the valuable porcelain art, the excellent porcelain techniques
and the intelligent porcelain artists. This culture was, is and will be a
treasure for Jingdezhen's tourist industry.
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