• 1. Accommodation for Huangshan Tour
• 2. Preparation for Huangshan Tour
• 3. Tips for Winter Tour
• 4. Best Viewing Spots on Mt. Huangshan
• 5. Souvenirs & Side Trips
• 6. Other Questions & Tips
• >>More Tour Tips

"The best porcelain of the world is in China, and China's best is in Jingdezhen", the famous writer Guo Moruo once said. Jingdezhen, as one of China's many ancient cultural cities, has been regarded as the country's porcelain capital for over a thousand years.

Jingdezhen is situated in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province in a small basin rich in kaolin (a fine white clay used in the manufacture of porcelain). The area is hemmed in by mountains and covered with ample forests necessary for firewood. With all the natural elements needed located close by, people began to produce ceramics there as early as 1,800 years ago during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The industry developed greatly during the Ming and Qing dynasties (14th to 19th centuries). As porcelain became a more valuable and sought out commodity, the skills for making it were gradually perfected and the quality became more refined. Government owned kilns were set up to cater exclusively to the need of the imperial house.

Press mould forming and trimming made in a pottery workshop	The worker is focusing on the hand-painting on the porcelains

The artists and craftsmen in Jingdezhen were renowned throughout the country for their talent and creativity and numerous masterpieces were designed there. Over time the porcelain in that area was identified by its own four special features. It is white like jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, and sounds like a chime. Great talent, patience, and skill is required to make truly fine porcelain pieces and Jingdezhen's mastery of this art form has carved the region a name for itself among China's elite cultural cities.

Tourists can find many interesting sites related to the area's porcelain culture as well as learning the process and techniques or buying gift items. These include: the ruins of ancient kilns in Hutian, the Porcelain Museum, the ancient Porcelain Mill, and the Institute of Porcelain Research.