Foreigners flock to 'porcelain capital'

China Daily, June 25, 2014

China De La Vega, an Australian potter and painter, enjoys life and work in Jingdezhen. [Photo/China Daily]

Now Lee has become a sophisticated potter and is learning to make the blue and white porcelain for which Jingdezhen is famous. When he graduates, Lee, who enjoys painting landscape views on his ceramic work, will help his father run the family business.

"Jingdezhen is a much smaller city than Beijing or Shanghai," he said. "But my father is happy that I'm studying here because there is no place to have fun, there's only ceramics, ceramics and more ceramics!"

The institute has been recruiting international students since 2006, according to Hu Wei, head of the International Communication Department, who said the school provides three-month exchange programs that offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in ceramics and related studies.

As one of very few institutes in China devoted to ceramics, the school is attracting an increasing number of international students, according to Hu. "Many artists and pottery lovers come here because of Jingdezhen's fame. Some of them apply to teach English in our school, and in return we let them join our ceramic classes," he said, adding that although the city's fame rests on its ancient porcelain arts, modern ceramics are not ignored.