2019 Taoxichuan Spring & Autumn Grand Fair Attracts Record-Breaking Visitors During May Day Holiday

On May 3, the 4th Taoxichuan 2019 Spring & Autumn Grand Fair (Spring Edition) officially kicked off in the Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative Block. This was a cross-boundary fusion event integrating art exhibitions, lectures by industry leaders, tech experiences, music performances, creative markets, and interactive entertainment. The fair attracted 114 international artists from 17 countries, faculty and students from 18 renowned universities across China, 47 engaging interactive activities, 16 exciting exhibitions, 574 booths, and tens of thousands of art and culture enthusiasts from around the country.

The Spring & Autumn Grand Fair is a flagship event created by the Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative Block, held biannually in spring and autumn. Since its first edition in October 2017, this marked the fourth such gathering. Compared to previous editions, this year’s event incorporated a wealth of cross-industry elements: the opening ceremony saw a strategic partnership formed with Berlin-based KPM Royal Porcelain, while young professionals who quit their jobs in first-tier cities presented a creative exhibition titled “From Quitting to Firing Naked Porcelain.” In line with the national “Intelligence+” strategy outlined during the Two Sessions, Taoxichuan deployed AI-powered service robots across various venues. Yu Xiaobing, General Manager of Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group, said: “The Spring & Autumn Grand Fair continuously blends Jingdezhen’s rich ceramic culture with international lifestyle trends, creating a uniquely charming, open, and fun urban-style party that delivers a fashionable and artistic living experience.”

After a century of ups and downs, Taoxichuan in Jingdezhen has returned to the public eye with a youthful and vibrant spirit. A series of events — including the Spring & Autumn Grand Fair, music festivals, anime conventions, and art exhibitions — have, in just three short years, repeatedly stirred the “hormones” of this millennia-old porcelain capital, showcasing the “youthful energy” of this ancient ceramic city.

This edition of the Taoxichuan Spring & Autumn Grand Fair featured collisions between Chinese and foreign cultures, the inheritance of both ancient and modern spirits, the fusion of art and technology, and innovations that reinterpret tradition. Among the 160 million travelers who took to the roads during this year’s May Day holiday, the Taoxichuan Spring & Autumn Grand Fair once again became a focal point for young people, leading the nation’s tourism competition.

Young Job Quitters Join Jingdezhen’s Master Craftsmen to Smash a Dragon Vat, Upholding the Spirit of Craftsmanship

If Taoxichuan represents the future and infinite possibilities of ceramic art, then Jingdezhen’s historic imperial and official kilns embody heritage and historical memory. The convergence of old and new ceramic cultures adds many fresh stories to this ancient city.

At this year’s Spring & Autumn Grand Fair, a Jingdezhen intangible cultural heritage inheritor publicly smashed a dragon vat to demonstrate zero tolerance for flaws in fired ceramics, fully revealing the spirit of craftsmanship. “A single large dragon vat is extremely costly, requiring exceptional materials, craftsmanship, and firing time.” But in pursuit of flawless quality, the master craftsman chose to smash the vat, ensuring that Jingdezhen’s legacy of ceramic art remains pure and perfect. Joining the master in smashing the vat was a young person — one of the job-quitting youth recruited from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou by Taoxichuan. Having escaped the 996 work culture, they came to the fair to heal and seek a new direction in life.

After the vat was smashed, the organizers specially presented two red envelopes — one with 999 yuan and the other with 996 yuan — to the master craftsman and the young job quitter. The host explained that 999 represents Taoxichuan’s pursuit of excellence and perfection in craftsmanship, hoping that the master’s dedication and focus, along with their unwavering commitment to quality, will be passed down through generations. The 996 symbolizes the hope that young people can draw strength from the spirit of craftsmanship, find direction after healing at Taoxichuan, and move forward anew. No matter what career path they choose in the future, they should be responsible to themselves and to society. Turn 996 into 999, inheriting and promoting Taoxichuan’s craftsmanship culture.

In the past,there was an old saying in Jingdezhen:--“Artisans come from all directions, and wares travel across the world.” Today, at Taoxichuan,·the Spring & Autumn Grand Fair promotes a new saying:--“Visitors come from all directions, but the spirit lives on forever!”

Want to make money? Head to Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. Need healing? Go to Lijiang or Taoxichuan.

This Spring & Autumn Grand Fair brought together hundreds of job-quitting youth from first-tier cities. Through a series of activities like “Job Quitters Make Naked Porcelain” and “Job Quitters’ Block Parade,” they reflected on their past dreams and sought new directions for the future.

According to reports, in 2018, 233,000 young people “escaped” Beijing. By that estimate, nearly one million young people have left Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. High living costs, unaffordable housing prices, internet industry layoffs, and the rise of the 996 overtime culture have left already mentally drained young people feeling even more numb and exhausted.

However, dreaming big isn’t only possible in first-tier cities, and money isn’t the sole measure of success. “Created for life, crafted for ideals” — atTaoxichuan Yi Space,an increasing number of young people are setting up shop as entrepreneurs. Here, they enjoy free storefronts and stalls, flexible funding and technical support, and comprehensive entrepreneurial assistance, making it a paradise for chasing dreams. With 8,747 “Jing drifters” from around the world calling it home, the arrival of the 2019 Spring & Autumn Fair drew yet another wave of young people fleeing the big cities to gather in Taoxichuan.They say: Heal a broken heart in Lijiang, heal a career wound in Taoxichuan.

Robots Explain Ceramic Art: Artificial Intelligence Breaks Down Cultural Barriers

The 2019 Taoxichuan Spring & Autumn Grand Fair “recruited” robot staff for the first time: robot-run unmanned booths, robotic street performances, robotic arm coffee kiosks, robot hosts, and even a robot girl group captured countless eyes. In every art gallery and museum, smart service robots named “Bao Xiaomii,” provided by Cheetah Mobile, offered visitors insights into ceramic culture and art.

Faced with this novel fusion of cutting-edge technology and traditional art, visitors eagerly took photos, posed for selfies, and shared them on social media. Thanks to artificial intelligence, ceramic culture and art have taken flight, presenting themselves in a fresh new light to a broader audience, making art shine even brighter in the AI era.

At the 2019 Taoxichuan Spring & Autumn Grand Fair, discover a new horizon and endless fun. “A New World” offers a unique artistic atmosphere and a fresh perspective on life.