Pottery craft breathes new life into village

　　Du Jiangang tidies up his shop in Jingxing county, Hebei province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In a village in North China's Hebei province, the ancient craft of pottery is bringing new opportunities to the local community.

People in Jingxing county, Shijiazhuang, have been making porcelain for over 1,400 years. Today, this tradition is not only alive, but also at the heart of the village's revival.

The quiet morning in Nanhengkou village is always broken by the sound of spinning pottery wheels. This is from Jingxing Kiln, one of Hebei's four famous historical kilns.

Du Jiangang is busy teaching a visitor how to shape clay on a wheel at the Jingxing Kiln Cultural Research Association Study Base."Let the clay move with your hands," he said patiently. His workshop is full of people eager to learn the old craft.

Du, 54, did not study porcelain making in school. "I learned it because I love my hometown's history," he said.

He followed archaeologists to old kiln sites, collecting broken pieces to understand the lost techniques.

Gradually, he mastered the traditional way of baking pottery in wood-fired kilns. But he also keeps up with the times. Now he uses modern electric or gas kilns for more precise and cleaner production. "Before, we had to watch the fire for three days and nights," Du said. "Now, technology helps us control the temperature perfectly," he said, adding that the glaze color can be more stable and more environmentally friendly.

For him, the real success is seeing young people in his classes. "This is the hope for the continuation of this tradition," he said.

In another room, 61-year-old Ma Yanjun carefully smooths the edge of a ceramic mold. Coming from a family of potters, Ma has done this work for decades.

His father was a master in an old State-owned factory. "He told me that clay and glaze have their own character. You must respect it," Ma said. The lesson has guided his entire life.

From the age of 18, Ma worked at the factory for three decades until it closed in 2012.

"Back then, I thought my skills might become useless," he said.

But when the village decided to rebuild its porcelain culture, he was called back.

In 2018, a "Porcelain Water Town" project — the development of a scenic area centered on the kiln's culture — was launched.

After returning to his hometown, Ma became the backbone of the village by leading the restoration of the traditional production techniques of Jingxing Kiln.

Du molds porcelain jars at the Jingxing Kiln Cultural Research Association Study Base in Jingxing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

He has helped bring back over 10 traditional styles of porcelain figures. "I used to worry this craft would die," he said. " But now, I see hope."

The kiln culture's revival has seen many people like Ma go back to their roots. Li Wei used to work far away from the village. After hearing about the project, he returned home to open his own workshop.

"My grandfather and father were potters. I want to pass this on," Li said. Every day, tourists visit his workshop to try making their own small dish or cup. "I think this is the best way of cultural transmission," he said.

Another potter, Yu Huiming, runs an old porcelain brand nearby. His team focuses on creating new glazes using minerals found in Jingxing's soil.

"We have developed over 30 unique colors and can produce more than 20,000 pieces of ceramics annually," Yu said.

Their products are very popular." Tourists not only buy our finished pieces, they also want to learn how it's done," he said.

He added that the demand brings the ancient craft alive and makes it relevant to people again in the small village, where over 80 ancient kiln sites have been found. The local leaders decided not to just protect these sites, but to make them part of daily life.

"Ceramic elements are everywhere, but old items should not merely be regarded as display pieces. They should be made accessible for visitors to touch and play with," said Yin Haiting, president of the Jingxing Kiln Culture Research Association.

Based on this concept, old walls have been built from special fireproof boxes called "saggers", becoming popular spots for taking photos. A new museum was also set up, showing pieces from different dynasties and displaying how porcelain was made with a screen.

An old-style house has been turned into a guesthouse, with the flower pots and decorations all made of local ceramics.

In the yard outside, a cafe serves visitors with handmade Jingxing cups.

Liu Guohui, the cafe owner, teaches customers how to make coffee in these rustic cups. "Many people fall in love with the feeling of contrast, and end up buying a set," he said." We aim to combine tradition and fashion, so that more young people can experience the charm of traditional culture."

The revival of the old culture has changed local people's lives.

"Before, our young people had to go outside to find work," said a female villager surnamed Ma. "Now my son and his wife have jobs right here at home, while I sell small pottery. We can all stay together."

The revival has also boosted local tourism, which has further created many jobs.

According to local authorities, local families have opened hotels, restaurants and shops. And the village's collective income has grown significantly, improving life for everyone.

During this year's May Day holiday, tens of thousands of visitors came to the village. This "cultural tourism" model has become a reliable way for people to earn a living without leaving their hometown.

Local officials believe the culture is the key to sustainable growth. In the future, they want to work with universities, create more advanced craft courses, and use digital tools to tell the kiln's long story.