Global artists gather in China’s ‘millennium porcelain capital’

BEIJING , June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: Tourists visit Sanbao village, Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi province. (Photo courtesy of the media center of Zhushan district, Jingdezhen) Located in the northeast of Jiangxi province in east China, Jingdezhen is renowned both in China and abroad for its porcelain and is widely known as the "millennium porcelain capital." In January 2025, Jingdezhen's handmade porcelain industry heritage sites were officially submitted to UNESCO as China's nomination for the 2026 World Heritage List. Jingdezhen possesses not only millennial ceramic heritage but also a long tradition of openness and inclusiveness. Historically, it was said that only 20-30 percent of people that lived there were locals, while the rest were migrants drawn by its thriving porcelain industry. Today, around 5,000 foreign residents have made their homes there, known locally as "Jingdezhen drifters." They have become part of the city's everyday life, as communicators of ceramic culture, contributors to urban development, and co-creators of the distinctive character of this global city of crafts and folk arts. Yann Colleu, from the French overseas territory of Reunion Island, first came to Jingdezhen in 2017 for a short-term study program and was immediately captivated by the atmosphere. "I became obsessed with the place," he said with a smile. What stayed with him was extended far beyond the masterful handiwork of seasoned local potters. Jingdezhen's ceramic traditions are not museum pieces frozen behind glass; it is a living tradition, carried forward through gestures, language, customs, patience, and daily practice. In 2024, he and his wife returned to Jingdezhen and established their own studio there. When he first arrived, he could not speak a single word of Chinese. One day, a craftsman handed him a lump of clay and gestured: "Come on, give it a try." Colleu...