Jingdezhen drives high-quality growth of ceramic brands

For years, consumers have recognized the excellent quality of porcelain made in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, yet many have worried about whether they were buying genuine products.

Today, the "Made in Jingdezhen" mark has effectively addressed these challenges, restored confidence in the industry, and strengthened the foundation for the development of Jingdezhen, known as China's "porcelain capital."

A "Made in Jingdezhen" mark printed on the bottom of a ceramic cup. (Photo/Lin Huiqi)

Standardization has become a crucial step in the development of Jingdezhen's ceramic industry. The city has established a full-chain governance system integrating standard setting, inspection and certification, and traceability management, ensuring that every stage of ceramic production is backed by clear standards.

Fu Wangsheng, secretary-general of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Association, said that some key indicators under the "Made in Jingdezhen" quality standards are higher than national standards, while also reflecting the unique characteristics of Jingdezhen ceramics. Only products that meet these quality requirements are authorized to use the brand mark.

In recent years, the "Made in Jingdezhen" standard system has continued to improve. Ten group standards for ceramic products have been introduced, covering major categories such as ceramic liquor bottles and household ceramics. Meanwhile, compliant products are assigned exclusive QR codes as unique identifiers, enabling end-to-end traceability and authenticity verification.

So far, nearly 230 enterprises in Jingdezhen have been authorized to use the brand mark. The brand value has continued to translate into production momentum, with the city's ceramic industry surpassing 100 billion yuan (about $14.75 billion) in annual output value in 2025.

"Such a sound shows that the porcelain body is dense and the firing temperature has been precisely controlled," said Xing Hao, general manager of Jingdezhen Ceramics Group, demonstrating by dipping a finger in water and rubbing it along the rim of a white porcelain bowl made by its subsidiary, Jingdezhen Redleaf Ceramics Co., Ltd., producing a clear, lingering hum.

The bowl features an even glaze throughout and a lightweight, comfortable feel. "It requires highly precise calculations of the firing temperature curve and the thermal properties of the materials," he added.

Decorated porcelain plates are about to enter a high-temperature roller kiln for firing at the factory of Jingdezhen Redleaf Ceramics Co., Ltd. in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Zou Binqi)

In the decal workshop of Jingdezhen Redleaf Ceramics Co., Ltd., workers carefully apply patterns to porcelain pieces. They align the decorative paper with the porcelain body, rotating it skillfully with one hand while smoothing it with the other.

After decoration, the ceramics are sent by a conveyor belt into a high-temperature roller kiln for the third firing. Before this stage, the products have already undergone biscuit firing and high-temperature glaze firing.

At an exhibition hall of "Longzhuge," a porcelain brand in Jingdezhen, the elegant porcelain series inspired by the famous landscape scroll painting "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" attracts many consumers.

"The 'Longzhuge' trademark was officially registered in 1979 and was once used as the mark on premium products made in Jingdezhen," said He Jianyi, chairman of Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative Operations Co., Ltd., which operates the brand.

In 2021, Longzhuge launched a brand revival plan, with the "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" series becoming a flagship product of its upgrade.

How could a masterpiece nearly 12 meters long be condensed onto a small ceramic vessel? The design team spent a long time refining the concept.

The cup body of the "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" porcelain series features a delicate landscape painting. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Guo Qihui, design director of Longzhuge, explained that the stability of colored glaze is difficult to control. Factors including glaze materials, techniques, kiln conditions, firing temperature and duration can all affect the final color effect. Before mass production, the team conducted multiple rounds of testing, adjusting glaze proportions, application techniques, moisture content and thickness.

In recent years, Longzhuge's Chinese-style collections have gained widespread attention. They have been showcased at major domestic and international platforms, including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Milan Design Week, presenting the unique charm of Jingdezhen's Chinese-style porcelain craftsmanship to the world.

Elsewhere in Jingdezhen, heritage techniques are finding an entirely different kind of audience — one raised on collectible toys rather than classical landscape painting. Walking into the exhibition hall of Chentian Ceramics, visitors find a variety of uniquely designed ceramic toys. One ceramic figurine is particularly eye-catching.

Photo shows a trendy ceramic toy made in Jingdezhen. (People's Daily Online/Zou Binqi)

"This is a trendy collectible toy jointly developed by us and Pop Mart. Priced at 14,999 yuan, it was limited to 199 units worldwide and sold out within seconds of its launch," said Xu Wan, general manager of Chentian Ceramics.

Building on innovative business models, Chentian Ceramics has continued to expand cross-sector collaborations. It has partnered with well-known domestic and international trendy toy IPs, including Disney, Pop Mart and Sanrio, integrating intangible cultural heritage techniques into trendy toy designs. These efforts have enabled traditional craftsmanship to adapt to modern aesthetic trends and enter new consumer markets.

At the 2026 China (Shenzhen) Cultural Industries Fair, all of Chentian Ceramics' trendy toy exhibits sold out within two days. With its distinctive brand style, the company has won recognition and attention from consumers in China and overseas.