NANCHANG: For more than 2,000 years, kiln fires have burned in China’s Jingdezhen, transforming humble clay into exquisite works of art. This is no ordinary city.

Situated in a corner of East China’s Jiangxi province, the world-renowned “porcelain capital” has long been the heart of Chinese ceramic culture. Its storied history, in many ways, embodies the enduring continuity of the Chinese civilisation itself a living tradition preserved, reshaped and renewed through generations.

The essence of Jingdezhen’s millennia-old heritage lies in the hands of its artisans. As described in the Chinese scientific classic “The Exploitation of Nature’s Works,” or “Tian Gong Kai Wu,” the porcelain-making process here entails 72 steps, with each demanding patience, precision and skill.

These very qualities continue to define craftsmen such as Sun Lixin. The 59-year-old began his apprenticeship more than four decades ago, learning every stage of porcelain production, from freehand delineation and the painting of classical motifs to clay forming and the compounding of glazes.

His craftsmanship caught the attention of President Xi Jinping during Xi’s inspection tour of Jingdezhen in October 2023. At his workshop, the artisan demonstrated his techniques by painting playful images of children, a classical porcelain motif, in about 20 seconds with one continuous stroke.

“Your skills are truly remarkable,” Xi said, while asking whether Sun followed a design or painted by feel. “It is all in my heart,” Sun replied.

As a provincial-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of blue-and-white porcelain making in Jiangxi, Sun carries on the brand founded by his great-grandfather, a lineage now spanning over 120 years.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2026