For centuries, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province has provided some of the world's finest porcelain. Today, it is drawing the world back to its kilns.
Adhamjonov Ayubkhon, a 20-year-old from Uzbekistan, arrived expecting a museum. What he found was living, breathing history and craftsmanship, baked into the rhythm of everyday life — not locked behind glass, but resting on dining tables, glinting in shop windows, lining old stone streets and spinning in the hands of young potters, shaping clay into everyday art.
"The city was amazing. Porcelain is everywhere," he said.
Now living in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi, Ayubkhon has visited Jingdezhen three times. During those visits, he has shaped his own cup and plate from raw clay, wandered through Jingdezhen Ceramic University and stood speechless before the treasures at Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum.
"When I visited the university in November, I saw many students learning how to make porcelain by hand. I also tried it myself, and I liked it," he said.
At the ceramics museum, the weight of centuries settled around him. "I saw many beautiful pieces there — vases, ancient works and blue-and-white porcelain from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The exhibits were breathtakingly beautiful."
By January, the pull of the porcelain capital brought him back a third time — this time as a collector, filling his bags with souvenirs for his family and friends.
In today's Jingdezhen, faces like Ayubkhon's are no longer a rare sight. The ancient ceramic production center is transforming into a destination where overseas visitors don't just come to admire porcelain — they touch it, shape it, paint it and carry home their own piece of the story.
Last year alone, Jingdezhen welcomed 150,800 inbound visits, a leap of roughly 40 percent from the year before. Spending by inbound tourists reached 89.96 million yuan ($13.27 million), up about 45 percent.
For many, the magic lies in moving beyond mere sightseeing and stepping into the craft.
"Nepal also has ceramics, but the porcelain here is much richer and more colorful," said Arjun Gurung, a tourist from Nepal, who was standing inside the Ancient Kiln and Folk Customs Museum. Under the guidance of local artisans, Gurung and fellow travelers from a Nepali tour group sat at the potter's wheel, their hands learning the quiet patience required for a lump of clay to gradually take shape.
"It was only after experiencing the process of making porcelain myself that I truly understood more about Chinese culture and history," he said.
At major scenic spots and studios across Jingdezhen, visitors are not just watching artisans paint delicate patterns on porcelain. Some are also invited to add elements from their own cultures to the craft.
A Turkish visitor, who asked to be identified only as Nikos, spent an entire afternoon in a studio learning to paint blue-and-white porcelain under the guidance of a local master.
"I tried to include an olive branch pattern in the design," Nikos said. "For me, it felt like bringing a little bit of the Aegean Sea into Jingdezhen's porcelain tradition."
Clear trends
According to the Jingdezhen Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, inbound tourism is seeing two clear trends: Visitors are staying longer, and they are seeking deeper cultural encounters.
The city's appeal is shifting from quick photo stops to hands-on, experience-based travel.
Major inbound markets now include Malaysia, the United States, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, with independent travelers making up roughly 30 to 40 percent of overseas arrivals.
For those who return again and again, porcelain shopping has become something of a ritual. "This is my third time in Jingdezhen, and every time I bring back dozens of porcelain items," said a tourist from Malaysia, as she carefully selected blue-and-white plates at Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue. In her basket, tiny porcelain fridge magnets sat beside collectible ceramic pieces — a small portrait of how Jingdezhen's porcelain industry is touching visitors at every level, from everyday keepsakes to objects of art.
