Accompanied by Professor Stacey Pierson, explore China’s great ceramic centres—Yixing, Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Longquan and Dehua. This specially designed itinerary has been created in association with Professor Pierson. The journey offers a sweeping exploration of technical innovation, and artistry in China ceramics, as well as global exchange spanning over a millennium.
Begin with a brief stop in Shanghai before heading west by high-speed train to Yixing, home of zisha (purple-sand) clay and China’s most evocative tea ware. Explore the slope-built Qianshu Ancient Dragon Kiln, whose chambered ‘dragon’ body once fired thousands of unglazed teapots prized for their breathability and tea-enhancing patina. Here is a chance to better understand how vessel shape and clay composition influenced aroma and mouthfeel.
Again by high-speed train, head south to Jingdezhen, the ‘Porcelain Capital’, of China where imperial patronage and global trade converged. At the Imperial Kiln Museum, vaulted brick halls echo the tunnels of historic kilns and kiln furniture. The China Ceramic Museum and Folk Ceramic Museum detail China’s ceramic history from court wares to everyday production. Nearby is the Taoxichuan Creative Art Zone whose repurposed factories with studios, markets, and residences are all evidence that a thousand-year craft still innovates today.
Continue to Hangzhou, where historic tea culture refined the evolution of ceramic artistry and technical development in China. Visit the Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea Fields, terraced hills that have supplied connoisseur culture since the Tang. In the China National Tea Museum, there is a chance to better understand how tea ware design—thickness, glaze, lip curvature—evolved with brewing methods. Enjoy a ‘hands on’ session at Nibatang Studio where a more physical or tactile lesson links the theory of the kiln to one’s fingertips.
From Hangzhou, cross the green mountains into Longquan, cradle of Song-era celadon. The Longquan Celadon Museum exhibits bowls and vases with jade-like, watery glazes that came to symbolize natural harmony. At Xiazhang Ancient Kiln Village, discover a landscape once dominated by dragon kilns and master workshops. A visit to Xu Chaoxing’s Studio is planned to learn more of his expertise in high-firing cycles and glaze chemistry.
Travel farther south to Dehua in Fujian, renowned for ‘Blanc de Chine’. In the Dehua Ceramics Museum, serene Guanyin and Daoist figures, incense burners, and elegant tableware display a warm ivory body only achievable with exceptionally pure kaolin. At Yueji Kiln Cultural Park, reconstructed kilns and export shards connect local expertise to maritime exchange across Asia and into Europe. Visit a contemporary studio—Chen Mingliang’s, to see how hand-modelling give Dehua sculpture its calm radiance. The Sunshine Ceramic Culture Centre, Ceramics Street and Tea Ware Market are excellent examples of a ‘living’ craft with demonstrations, and wonderful examples of ‘collector grade’ tea ware.
The journey returns and finishes in Shanghai with a visit to the magnificent Shanghai Museum with a chance to ‘revisit’ with new eyes much of the last ten days or so though its excellent ceramic collections.
The journey has been organised for the Alumni of SOAS University, London and is also open to friends and family of Alumni. Please note that Distant Horizons has sole responsibility for the operation of this journey. SOAS University London has no direct control over the operation of the journey.
Trip Leader: Professor Stacey Pierson
Professor Stacey Pierson is Professor of the History of Chinese Ceramics at SOAS, University of London. In addition to teaching and supervising research students in the School of Arts, she is President of the Oriental Ceramic Society (London) and series editor for the Routledge title Histories of Material Culture and Collecting, 1550-1950. Previously, from 1995 – 2007, she was Curator of the Percival David Foundation of Chinese art, also at the University of London, which housed the world-renowned David collection of Chinese ceramics.