China’s Porcelain Capital Jingdezhen Drives Global Innovation and 100-Billion-Yuan Industrial Transformation

JINGDEZHEN, China, October 23, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- China News Service (CNS) has released a new report highlighting how Jingdezhen, China’s historic "porcelain capital," is leveraging its millennia-old heritage to power a modern, high-tech industrial cluster and foster a global community of international creators.

The announcement comes following the 2026 Jingdezhen Forum, which opened on Oct. 18, and the concurrent 2026 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo. The events mark the city's first major international gathering since the "Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites" were officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2026 as China’s 61st World Heritage property.

Global Cultural Exchange and Creative Ecosystem

The 2026 Expo convened more than 2,500 guests from over 90 countries and regions, featuring 450 domestic and international companies, 40 international brands, and direct trade matchmaking between nearly 100 overseas buyers and 150 domestic suppliers.

"I cannot think of a more creative city than Jingdezhen," said Tim Winter, Professor at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, noting that the city has successfully fused tradition, innovation, and porcelain-making into a continuous development narrative.

Wang Guangyao, Senior Researcher at the Palace Museum and Executive Director of the Chinese Archaeological Society, emphasized during the forum that Chinese ceramics historically served as a two-way cultural bridge — absorbing raw materials and decorative techniques from abroad while exporting production methods worldwide.

Today, that tradition manifests in a thriving community of over 60,000 migrant artisans ("jingpiao"), including an estimated peak of 5,000 international creators ("yang jingpiao"). Institutions such as the Sanbao International Ceramic Village have hosted more than 20,000 international artists and practitioners over the past two decades.

Key creative highlights from the 2026 Expo included:

• Cross-Cultural Collaborations: International exhibitors, such as Iranian artisan Abed Hashemi, introduced fusion concepts pairing Iranian handcrafted "Mina" enamel ware with Chinese porcelain techniques.
• Next-Gen Design & Tech Integration: Contemporary designers demonstrated plush-toy elements integrated with traditional blue-and-white porcelain, supported by artificial intelligence tools.
• AI & 3D Ceramic Printing: Advanced equipment manufacturers showcased prompt-to-model AI workflows that generate ceramic blanks for traditional kiln firing directly from text or image uploads.

Historic Milestone: Over 100 Billion Yuan Industrial Output

Alongside its cultural expansion, Jingdezhen has undergone a major industrial shift toward advanced ceramics. In 2025, the city's ceramic industry achieved a total output exceeding 102.7 billion yuan (approximately $14.4 billion), becoming China's first single ceramic industrial cluster to cross the 100-billion-yuan threshold.

Advanced ceramics — utilizing synthetic oxide, nitride, and carbide powders for high-precision applications in electronics, equipment manufacturing, new energy, and biomedicine — now account for 34 percent of the city's total output, up from under 10 percent five years ago.

The city’s advanced ceramic enterprise ecosystem has expanded from 86 to 208 active companies, with key high-tech materials like high-purity nano alumina and zirconia ceramic substrates meeting top domestic standards.

Watch the video report: China News Service Coverage

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CNS is a comprehensive state news agency reporting on major economic, cultural, and industrial developments across China and worldwide.

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