Global artists gather in China's 'millennium porcelain capital'

BEIJING, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily：

Located in the northeast of Jiangxi province in east China, Jingdezhen is renowned both in China and abroad for its porcelain and is widely known as the "millennium porcelain capital." In January 2025, Jingdezhen's handmade porcelain industry heritage sites were officially submitted to UNESCO as China's nomination for the 2026 World Heritage List.

Jingdezhen possesses not only millennial ceramic heritage but also a long tradition of openness and inclusiveness. Historically, it was said that only 20-30 percent of people that lived there were locals, while the rest were migrants drawn by its thriving porcelain industry.

Today, around 5,000 foreign residents have made their homes there, known locally as "Jingdezhen drifters." They have become part of the city's everyday life, as communicators of ceramic culture, contributors to urban development, and co-creators of the distinctive character of this global city of crafts and folk arts.

Yann Colleu, from the French overseas territory of Reunion Island, first came to Jingdezhen in 2017 for a short-term study program and was immediately captivated by the atmosphere.

"I became obsessed with the place," he said with a smile.

What stayed with him was extended far beyond the masterful handiwork of seasoned local potters. Jingdezhen's ceramic traditions are not museum pieces frozen behind glass; it is a living tradition,  carried forward through gestures, language, customs, patience, and daily practice.

In 2024, he and his wife returned to Jingdezhen and established their own studio there.

When he first arrived, he could not speak a single word of Chinese. One day, a craftsman handed him a lump of clay and gestured: "Come on, give it a try."

Colleu placed the clay on a wheel, and it collapsed three times. Each time, the craftsman patiently helped him reshape it and simply said: "Take it slowly."

That afternoon, Colleu realized something important: "Language is not a barrier, and hands are the best translators."

A young man in a neighboring workshop freely repaired dozens of his flawed clay prototypes without charge, asking only that he paint classic blue-and-white porcelain patterns for them as repayment down the line.

Once, when Colleu was selling ceramics at a night market, a local woman running a neighboring stall helped him attract customers. "Foreign artist's work -- very creative!" she called out. At that moment, he stopped feeling like an outsider.

By 2025, the total output value of Jingdezhen's ceramic industry had exceeded 100 billion yuan ($14.77 billion). The city is home to more than 58,000 handmade ceramic workshops and approximately 150,000 ceramic industry workers, while maintaining partnerships with more than 180 cities across 72 countries.

"No matter where you come from, as long as you respect tradition and are sincere about craftsmanship, people here will treat you as one of their own," Colleu said.

Today, he is pursuing a doctoral degree at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, searching through bowls and porcelain fragments for earlier and deeper connections between Jingdezhen and the wider world.

SOURCE People's Daily