Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum

Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum

The Jingdezhen Ceramics Museum is located on Lianshe Road in the city center. The six large Chinese characters “Jingdezhen Ceramics Museum,” personally inscribed by Guo Moruo, are embedded on the gate tower. Established in the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the museum has since expanded continuously. Its exhibits are divided into the “History Section,” the “New China Section,” and special thematic exhibition halls. The History Section displays over 1,000 pieces of ancient ceramics in chronological order by dynasty, while the New China Section showcases more than 1,500 ceramic treasures collected after the founding of the PRC, arranged by category. The exhibits include celadon and white porcelain from the Five Dynasties; bluish-white porcelain from the Song Dynasty; blue-and-white porcelain, egg-white porcelain, and underglaze red from the Yuan Dynasty; blue-and-white porcelain, wucai (polychrome), doucai (contrasting color), and various colored glaze porcelains from the Ming Dynasty; as well as dozens of refined ceramic varieties from the Qing Dynasty. Works from modern ceramic factories, institutes, and master potters are also part of the collection. It is a must-visit destination for tourists coming to Jingdezhen.

These precious ceramics truly reflect the entire developmental history of Jingdezhen and showcase the wisdom and great creativity of generations of ceramic artisans. A visit here is so captivating that visitors often find it hard to leave.

The Porcelain Capital — Jingdezhen — is a shining pearl in the world of ceramic art. With its unique display format, the Jingdezhen Ceramics Museum “gathers famous ceramics from all dynasties under one roof and narrates a thousand years of history in a single moment,” presenting the long and storied history of the Porcelain Capital.

Historical records indicate that pottery production in Jingdezhen began during the late Han Dynasty, with pottery kilns and Huo Kilns appearing during the Tang Dynasty. The products were lustrous and often praised as “imitation jade.” From the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, kilns spread throughout the town and along both banks of the Nanhe River in the suburbs. The white porcelain of the Five Dynasties had already reached the quality standards of modern ceramics. The fine and delicate qingbai (bluish-white) porcelain of the Song Dynasty, with its smooth texture and radiant beauty, became widely popular across the country and established Jingdezhen as the birthplace of China’s qingbai porcelain tradition. During the Jingde era (1004–1007) of the Song Dynasty, an official was appointed to oversee the town’s ceramic production for imperial use, and from then on, the town became universally known as Jingdezhen. In the Yuan Dynasty, the “Fuliang Porcelain Bureau” was established to produce ceramics for the imperial court. During this time, new varieties such as blue-and-white porcelain, underglaze red, copper-red glaze, jihong (kingfisher blue) glaze, egg-white glaze, as well as overglaze sancai (tri-color) and gold decorations were successfully fired, with blue-and-white porcelain achieving particular fame worldwide. In the early Ming Dynasty, an imperial kiln was set up on Zhushan Hill, leading to a flourishing period where official and private kilns thrived side by side. The official kilns produced renowned items such as Yongle and Xuande blue-and-white porcelain, sacrificial red, sweet white glaze, Chenghua doucai, peacock green and mellow yellow glazes, as well as Wanli and Jiajing polychrome and iron-red decorations. Private kilns gained attention for their bold and free-style blue-and-white ceramics, as well as the fantastic colors of falangcai and susancai from the Hongzhi to Jiajing periods. At this time, Jingdezhen was truly the “four-seasons-thundering town,” with “flames lighting up the sky, making it impossible to sleep at night.” In the Qing Dynasty, ceramic craftsmanship reached new heights, peaking during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns. Kangxi-era wucai, sancai, and enamel colors, Yongzheng-era famille rose and ink colors, as well as Qianlong-era bronze colors, linglong (exquisite openwork), and others were exquisitely crafted. High and low-temperature colored glazes such as langyao red, meirenzui (intoxicated beauty), jun red, sky blue, tea-dust, as well as lu jun and feicui glazes were richly diverse, surpassing previous achievements. Later, as society declined, ceramic production gradually weakened, and ceramic art became cluttered and overly elaborate, losing its former brilliance.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with the socialization of production materials and widespread application of science and technology, the ancient handicraft ceramic industry evolved toward modernization, allowing Jingdezhen ceramics to bloom anew. The number of traditional and innovative ceramic varieties continued to grow, and product quality and output improved rapidly. Blue-and-white, famille rose, and qinghua linglong ceramics won national gold awards, while high-temperature colored glaze ceramics and thin-bodied porcelain received national silver awards. Many other products were honored with quality awards from the Ministry of Light Industry and Jiangxi Province.

Jingdezhen ceramics have earned praise from people both at home and abroad for their unique artistic charm. Jingdezhen — this shining pearl — will continue to shine brightly forever.

Transportation

Take bus No. 18 and get off at the Administration for Industry and Commerce stop

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

8:00-17:00

Location

No. 169, North Lianshe Road, Zhushan District, Jingdezhen City

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China