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This was my second trip to Jingdezhen, and compared to my previous, more whirlwind visit, this one was truly authentic. Many people come to Jingdezhen to admire its porcelain, but this artistic town boasts not only a thousand-year-old porcelain culture but also a variety of themed museums, unique porcelain markets, and lesser-known tourist attractions and culinary delights. I've explored them all, so this itinerary is absolutely essential.
Next, let’s go to Jingdezhen together to experience its urban charm.
Shop at the Pottery Society Creative Market, be captivated by all sorts of beautiful original designs, and experience the atmosphere of this mecca where artistic young people gather.
At the China Ceramics Museum, you can see the country's richest collection of porcelain artifacts, explore the latest trend-setting online cultural and creative works, such as the intriguing "Silent Buddha, Biu You Buddha," and feel the collision of history and trends.
Explore the stunning cave scenery in Hongyan Wonderland and experience a geological civilization spanning hundreds of millions of years.
In [Gaoling China Village], you can not only take beautiful ancient-style photos, but also enjoy interesting Fuliang events and wonderful performances. You can also experience authentic Fuliang cuisine and experience a seamless and fully immersive tour experience.
Visit the International Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition in Sanbao Village and admire the wonderful works of famous masters. There are also beautiful coffee shops and restaurants. Many ceramic artworks are perfect for taking photos.
Experience the charm of the 1,200-year-old Fuliang Ancient County Yamen, and explore the historical origins of the most prestigious county yamen in Chinese history, known as "China's No. 1 County Yamen" and "South China's No. 1 Yamen."
At the Porcelain Palace, you'll learn about the story of a rural grandmother who used 60,000 pieces of porcelain to create a unique porcelain palace in Jingdezhen and even in China, and experience the ultimate beauty of this masterpiece of art.
It is also the real place where the "sky is blue and waiting for the rain" in the lyrics of "Blue and White Porcelain" is located. It is also one of the "Most Beautiful Towns in China" selected by National Geographic. It has a nice name called "Yao Li".
So you see, tourism in Jingdezhen is really not just about porcelain.
Jingdezhen has rich tourism resources, both its cultural landscape and natural scenery are unique. So when you come to Jingdezhen for tourism, don't rush. Slow down, calm down, carefully explore the pulse of this city, and feel its most complete tourism experience. For example, I checked in at more than a dozen attractions this time. The detailed itinerary is below. You can save it and read it slowly.
D1: Nanchang - Jingdezhen Station - Sculpture Porcelain Factory - Lotte Pottery Studio - Ancient Kiln - China Ceramics Museum
D2: Jingdezhen City - Yaoli Ancient Town - Gaoling Chinese Village - Datang Tea Market - Taoxichuan
D3: Sanbao International Ceramics Village - Imperial Kiln Museum - Porcelain Palace - Fuliang Ancient County Government - Ceramic Art District
D4: Hongyan Wonderland - Jingdezhen Station - Depart
Every time I go to Southeast Asia, my favorite thing is the various interesting local small markets. I didn’t expect that when I arrived in Jingdezhen this time, I found that there are so many good places worth visiting here. For example, the [Jingdezhen Sculpture Porcelain Factory] where I checked in today is a treasure community worth shopping and strolling around.
Ming and Qing Gardens is home to the Jingdezhen International Ceramics Center. This complex of imitation Ming Dynasty Hui-style buildings is breathtakingly beautiful. The garden's Porcelain Street recreates Jingdezhen's ancient porcelain commercial streets, where many arts and crafts masters have established studios and showcase their exquisite ceramic sculpture techniques. A highlight is the porcelain market held every weekend morning, featuring a wide variety of interesting items on display at the open-air stalls. Plan your time accordingly.
The specific location of the [Lotte Pottery Society Creative Market] is inside the Jingdezhen Sculpture Porcelain Factory. The stall owners of the market are basically local artists and designers in Jingdezhen. With the cultural and creative shops surrounding the market, this has become a holy place for young artists to gather. The entire market mainly sells porcelain utensils. The various original porcelains are very beautiful. The best thing is that the repetition rate is very low. I basically didn't see any duplicate products along the way.
The market also sells jewelry, handbags, cloth bags and other peripheral products. There are also several beverage stalls next to it where you can rest, as well as some unique shops in the ceramic factory. You can take your time to browse. The people here are very "relaxed" and will not keep selling to you or interfere with your photography or viewing. After a round of walking, it can be said to be very nice~
When the century-old porcelain kiln encounters rainy days, the scene before your eyes becomes "the sky is blue and waiting for the rain". [Jingdezhen Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Expo Area] is located in Panlonggang, Fengshu Mountain, Changjiang District, Jingdezhen City, next to the famous Jingdezhen University. It is a huge park covering an area of 83 hectares. It is also a cultural tourism complex integrating cultural expo, ceramic experience, entertainment and leisure. It is also the only national 5A-level tourist attraction in the country with "ceramic culture as its theme". It is definitely an indispensable check-in place for tourists to Jingdezhen.
In addition to the numerous ancient kiln wells, the garden scenery in the scenic area is also unique. The four provincial key cultural relics protection units, "Yuhua Hall, Dafudi, Cangxi Residence, and Yaochaihang Boss's Residence" are all worth seeing. "Tang Ying Memorial Hall, Fenghuo Xianshi Temple, Kiln God Sculpture" and so on are all worth seeing. There are scenery everywhere along the way. It is indeed a very good travel destination!
Whether at home or abroad, every time you go to a city, you must visit the local museum. The magical historical stories and exquisite cultural relics and artworks will always fascinate you. When you come to the Porcelain Capital, Jingdezhen, the most anticipated place is the China Ceramics Museum.
As the only "Professional Museum of Ceramic Art" established after the founding of the People's Republic of China, this place is truly unique. Both its appearance and exhibits are unique both domestically and internationally. The entire museum houses hundreds of thousands of porcelain pieces, and more than 20,000 ceramic cultural relics produced in Jingdezhen from various historical periods since the Neolithic Age are on display. Among them, more than 500 exhibits have been rated as "National Precious Cultural Relics." It is worthy of being a "National First-Class Museum" and is truly a pleasure to visit.
What is even more rare is that in addition to the rich traditional porcelain cultural relics, the exhibition hall has also kept pace with the trend of the times and created a large number of cultural and creative works, such as this year's popular "Silent Buddha, Biu You Buddha" and so on. The sculptures became instantly popular through their exaggerated expressions and movements, bringing a lot of traffic to the museum and even the entire Jingdezhen; at the same time, the interior decoration is also in the style of Internet celebrities, so when you come here you will find a large number of young tourists in the museum. In this atmosphere, it has played a good guiding role in guiding young people to love Chinese porcelain culture and understand the history of Jingdezhen ceramics.
The best thing about visiting Jingdezhen, the Porcelain Capital, is visiting the various creative markets. However, despite the abundance of markets, the most worthwhile destination at night is Taoxichuan, where Jingdezhen offers the best of nightlife.
This is a huge park with a total construction area of 1.6 million square meters. It brings together more than 20,000 artists, designers and literary and artistic creators from all over the world. After nightfall, they set up stalls in the cultural street converted from old factories to form a market. The various exquisite original handmade ceramic crafts are dazzling, from ceramic utensils to needles, thread and buttons. Any souvenir you want about Jingdezhen seems to be available here.
However, the key to shopping here is to "act fast" because Taoxichuan's products are basically original creations, so many things are only available in one copy. Once someone else buys it, it may no longer be available.
As a "National Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism District", Taoxichuan's architectural complex is also a highlight. The old factory buildings, coal-fired tunnel kilns, round kiln bags, chimneys, water towers, etc. have completely retained their original architectural style, truly preserving the information and imprint of the times. In particular, the [Taoxichuan Grand Theater] designed by David Chipperfield, the winner of the highest award in the architecture industry, is a unique and extremely beautiful architectural work. Friends who are interested can come and take a good look!
Taoxichuan Street is home to some unique cafes and restaurants, bookstores, and cultural and creative shops, perfect for a break after a long walk. I was particularly surprised to stumble upon the Maokong Bookstore by the pond; the night market setting is truly stunning. Occasionally, there are joint exhibitions or special themed exhibitions, like the "Jingdezhen x Dunhuang Exhibition" I stumbled upon this time. The feeling of transcending mountains and rivers is truly amazing.
If you don't check in at the Imperial Kiln Museum when you travel to Jingdezhen, I think it will be a big regret for your trip. The Imperial Kiln Museum is probably the most amazing of all the exhibition halls I have visited this year. As the "Second Most Beautiful Museum in the World", its appearance is definitely the most charming place. It is so popular that you always have to queue up for a long time to take pictures of some beautiful camera positions.
The Imperial Kiln Museum is located in the core area of Jingdezhen's historical district, adjacent to the ruins of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Kiln. It is surrounded by various historical buildings and blocks for visitors to visit. The appearance of the museum evolved from the traditional wood-fired kiln. Eight brick-arched kiln shafts and five sunken courtyards together make up this "most beautiful museum and best cultural building in China", which also won it the "Oscar Award" in the architectural world. With various lights and colors, any corner of the museum looks beautiful when photographed.
Actually, I'd heard before coming here that the exhibits at the Imperial Kiln Museum were "broken." After arriving, I discovered that many of the exhibits were indeed broken pieces of porcelain or repaired pieces riddled with cracks. This is probably unique among museums both domestically and internationally, right? According to the museum, this is because craftsmen back then would destroy flawed porcelain. This "rather be broken than broken" attitude also reflects the pursuit of ultimate perfection in the Imperial Kilns at the time. Therefore, you'll pass by the "Broken Porcelain Museum" on the way, where the various broken pieces, combined with the lighting, are also quite stunning.
"The fire in the furnace has been passed down for thousands of years, and the imperial vessels of your family are like flowing frost." You really have to see it in person to understand the style of the royal kiln.
This is the most beautiful scenery I have seen in Jingdezhen, and it is also one of my favorite places in Jiangxi. It is the real location of the "blue sky waiting for mist and rain" in the lyrics of the song "Blue and White Porcelain". It is also one of the "Most Beautiful Towns in China" selected by National Geographic. It has a nice name called [Yao Li].
In today's world, Yaoli is a rare ancient town with little commercialization. The only place on the street that can be considered "Internet celebrity" is a coffee shop next to the Wind and Rain Covered Bridge. The whole ancient town gives people a primitive and simple feeling. The blue brick and gray wall houses are surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. After the rain, a layer of hazy mist is added, and it is as beautiful as a paradise.
"Time rushes forward, carrying history with it; only Yaoli stands apart from the mundane world." As the birthplace of Jingdezhen's ceramic culture, Yaoli Ancient Town is a must-see destination for travelers to Jingdezhen. Learn about ceramic culture, experience local customs, savor authentic local cuisine, and enjoy the azure skies and misty rain. This quiet town offers you everything.
After leaving Yaoli Ancient Town, there's another beautiful ancient village nearby. This in-depth trip to Jingdezhen was truly rewarding. Not only did I enjoy the rich ceramics in various theme museums, but I also visited some hidden gems I'd never been to before. For example, the Gaoling China Village I'm sharing here is a must-see destination, conveniently located near Yaoli Ancient Town.
[Gaoling Chinese Village] is located in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen. It is the core area of the "Jingwuhuang Tourism Circle" and is only 40 kilometers away from the urban area of Jingdezhen. Next to it are the famous Yaoli Ancient Town and Gaoling National Mining Park, which can be arranged on the same route.
The entire Gaoling China Village covers an area of 26 square kilometers and is currently a designated national 4A tourist attraction. The village offers numerous activities and is a national-level rural complex integrating ecological agriculture, porcelain and tea tourism, forum training, sports and wellness, and cultural and creative travel experiences. The core of these activities is tea culture, and both the ancient Tang Dynasty Tea Market and the beautiful Fuliang Tea Sea are inseparable from the element of tea.
The Tang Dynasty Tea Market is a complex of buildings with a very "Tang Dynasty style". When looking down from the air using aerial photography, it is discovered that the building is in the shape of a heart. No wonder the performances are also love stories. As China's first immersive Tang-style theme experience block, here you can not only take beautiful ancient photos, but also enjoy interesting Fuliang events and wonderful performances, and experience authentic Fuliang cuisine, creating a seamless and fully immersive tour experience for tourists.
This time I watched the noon show. The actors interacted with the audience throughout the show. There was also a segment of ancient poetry recitation. In addition, you could experience various ancient activities such as pitching pots, storytelling, and Go. The sense of participation was very strong.
Upon entering the Tang Dynasty Tea Market, you'll see a 3-meter-diameter drum in the main hall, known as the "Tang Dynasty Drum King." Performances often include drumming performances, and this time, two young women performed with such valiant grace and swagger that it was truly stunning! The Tang Dynasty Tea Market also boasts many beautiful buildings and neighborhoods. Photography enthusiasts can bring along traditional Chinese clothing to capture some beautiful memories.
When traveling in Jingdezhen, various scenic spots are basically related to porcelain. Among them, there is a very special place, which is the [Porcelain Palace] located in Xinping Village, Fuliang County. Its appearance is similar to a Hakka earth building. It has three floors high. It is said that a total of 60,000 pieces of porcelain were used to build it. It is very distinctive!
There's a very touching story about the Porcelain Palace. It's said that in 2010, 86-year-old Yu Ermei traveled to Tianjin and saw the famous "Porcelain House," a tourist attraction in Tianjin. She decided to build her own "Porcelain House" in Jingdezhen, and the construction took her five years. The result is the Porcelain Palace we see today.
The entire Porcelain Palace is divided into three floors, covering an area of 1,200 square meters. Both the inside and outside are covered with various kinds of porcelain, and the four famous porcelains of Jingdezhen are cleverly integrated into them. In addition, the Porcelain Palace also displays porcelain panels of the four great classics, various classic stories, and historical celebrities. In particular, the porcelain panel paintings of "Journey to the West" on the first floor are displayed. They are painted with ancient color techniques, with rich colors, exquisite painting, and extremely beautiful. They also allow us to learn about history and culture while enjoying the scenery.
Each section of the Porcelain Palace has its own unique features. Even the walls of the corridors have unique porcelain paintings. You can walk in and slowly appreciate them. You can also choose to pose in the middle and take a photo with the wall and sky as the background. The photos are really beautiful.
A trip to Jingdezhen is all about exploring porcelain culture. Do you know the birthplace of porcelain? Today, join me at the [Porcelain Origin Scenic Area] to learn about the historical roots of Jingdezhen's porcelain. Jingdezhen is the only city in my country renowned for its traditional handicraft industry, and its porcelain culture, a millennium-old tradition, has earned it the nickname "Porcelain Capital." The Porcelain Origin, located in Raonan Village, Yaoli Town, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen, is the birthplace of porcelain culture.
The Yaoli Mountains, where the [Porcelain Origin Scenic Area] is located, are rich in kaolin, which provides abundant high-quality raw materials for making porcelain. In addition, a river passes through it, providing abundant water resources, and the numerous trees on the mountain provide the fuel needed for firing porcelain. This is also why this place has good conditions for the development of the porcelain industry. If you have time to walk through the entire scenic area, you will find that there are hundreds of ancient kiln relics from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties in the scenic area. It is worthy of being the area with the richest and best-preserved porcelain-related relics in the entire Jingdezhen.
Although the scenic area is not large, it has been rated as a "Dual Heritage of Nature and Culture". In addition to the many porcelain sites mentioned above, the natural scenery in the scenic area is also excellent. Walking along the bamboo forest by the river, the river is clear and the forest is beautiful. It is really a great scenery, and the walk makes people feel good.
Jingdezhen’s various cultural and creative markets, art parks, and museums are all worth visiting. This time, I accidentally discovered a beautiful treasure tribe called [Sanbao Village].
Sanbao Village is located in Sijia, Sanbao Village, about 5 kilometers south of Jingdezhen City. It was planned and built in 1995 by Professor Li Jianshen, a famous Canadian ceramic artist. After more than 20 years of development, it has become one of the international exchange windows of Jingdezhen's ceramic culture. The village is very beautifully built, and each building has a great design aesthetic. Whether it is a museum, tea market, cultural and creative product store, or coffee shop, it is worth a careful visit. It can be called a treasure art tribe.
The Sanbao Art Museum and the Qiu Art Museum in Sanbao Village hold various types of international contemporary ceramic art exhibitions every year. This time I came here and saw many exquisite exhibits. The four major exhibition halls each have their own characteristics, so you must leave enough time to appreciate them slowly; and the cultural and creative store also sells various beautiful porcelain products. Interested tourists can buy a few pieces to take away.
1. Sanbao Art Tribe
The core area of the scenic area is home to the Sanbaopeng Art Museum, where the ceramic art exhibition is extremely aesthetically pleasing. The coffee factory next to it is also worth a visit, and every photo you take will turn out to be a beautiful blockbuster.
2. Sanbao International Ceramics Village Museum
There are many cultural and creative elements here, including beautiful coffee shops and restaurants, and many ceramic artworks are very suitable for taking photos and checking in.
Many tourists who come to Jingdezhen only know about "porcelain", but miss the treasure scenic spot [Fuliang Ancient County Yamen]. Today, I will take you to visit it and experience the charm of the 1,200-year-old ancient county yamen.
[Fuliang Ancient County Yamen] is located in Jiucheng Village, Fuliang Town, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen. It was first built during the Tang Dynasty 1,200 years ago and has withstood wind and rain. It is now the only relatively well-preserved Qing Dynasty county yamen in Jiangnan, and one of the few remaining ancient county yamen in the country. In addition, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty granted the Fuliang County Magistrate a fifth-rank official title, making Fuliang County Yamen the highest-ranking county yamen in Chinese history, and it has the reputation of "the first county yamen in China and the first yamen in Jiangnan."
Today's Fuliang County Yamen covers an area of 95 mu and has basically maintained the original style of the ancient county yamen. The whole building faces south and is staggered with corridors connected. Entering from the archway outside the gate, passing through the screen wall, the first gate, the ceremonial gate, the yamen, the lobby, the second hall and the third hall, as well as the ancient official uniforms, torture instruments, eighteen kinds of weapons, interrogation sticks, official sedan chairs, shackles, etc. displayed along the way, you can really feel the majesty of the feudal yamen.
By visiting the temple, you can appreciate the style of the ancient government office and learn about the history, politics and culture of the government office in feudal society. In particular, the introduction to ancient county taxation is rare in China. It seems that I have gained a lot along the way.
At the back of the county government office is a back garden, which is also very stylishly built and has a large number of porcelain sculptures, showing the luxurious life of the county magistrate at that time. After coming out, you can take a look at the [Dasheng Pagoda] next to it. This 40-meter-high, six-sided, nine-story brick pagoda has a history of nearly 1,100 years. Each floor of the pagoda is built with blue bricks to form an overhanging platform without railings, reflecting the architectural appearance and artistic modeling of Buddhist pagodas in the early Northern Song Dynasty. It is a Buddhist pagoda that integrates the special style of ancient Chinese pagodas and the characteristics of Jiangnan architecture. It has great architectural artistic beauty and is also very ornamental. It is known as the "ancient city emblem" of Fuliang and is also a symbol of ancient Fuliang and a witness to history.
The Fuliang County Yamen Scenic Area also has many attractions such as the Historical and Cultural Corridor, the City Gate Tower, the Millennium Osmanthus Tree, the Kuixing Pavilion, the Millennium Porcelain Altar, etc. You can spend a day here to take a good look around, you will definitely not be disappointed.
Jingdezhen is not only famous for its porcelain, but also for its stunning karst cave landscape, called Hongyan Wonderland. Located in Hongyan Town, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, Hongyan Wonderland is only 48 kilometers from downtown Jingdezhen. The vast scenic area is mainly divided into two parts: the "karst cave" and the "stone forest." Its underground karst cave, with a history of over 300 million years, is particularly stunning, and stepping into it is like entering a fairyland.
The cave in Hongyan Wonderland is quite large. After entering from the main gate, you will walk along the trail. It takes about 1.5 hours to complete the journey. Along the way, you will see various shocking stalactites and even an underground waterfall. You can watch the triple waterfall in the mountain up close, which is very shocking.
As a "Jiangxi Provincial Key Scenic Spot", "Provincial Forest Park" and "Jingdezhen City's Top Ten Scenic Spots", the scenery of Hongyan Wonderland is naturally excellent. The entire cave covers an area of 80,000 square meters. Various beautiful stalactites are scattered throughout the cave, staggered and beautiful. Hong Hao, a famous official of the Southern Song Dynasty, once left a famous quote here: "With such a world and such rocks, who knew that a wonderland existed in the human world?"
After coming out of the cave, you can climb to the top of the nearby mountain to see the stunning stone forest landscape. Walk all the way to the observation deck, and you can also see the stunning water stage in the lake below. This place is not only exquisitely built, but also has the four characters "Shide, Liuguang" bestowed by Emperor Yongzheng. It can be said to be a highlight that cannot be missed.
Moreover, transportation to Hongyan Wonderland is also very convenient. You can take a public bus to the bus station, get off the bus and walk for about 10 minutes to reach the scenic area. There are restaurants and hotels outside the main gate, so you can stay for two days to have a good time.
Every trip is a wonderful memory, and Jingdezhen left me with even more. The rich porcelain culture, the wonderful architecture, the magical cave landscape, and the rich food experience, this city has given me so much worth remembering. But all good things must come to an end, and when traveling, there will always be a time to say goodbye. All I can say is, "See you next time, Jingdezhen!"
