The story of the Silk Road sets sail from here. Quanzhou and Dehua Porcelain: Erythrina Red Meets "Chinese White" Quanzhou | China | Dehua

On June 18th, China Daily reported that Quanzhou, the maritime trade center of China during the Song and Yuan dynasties, was also known as "prickly tree". It was named after this tree, which was introduced by maritime traders and widely planted in Quanzhou. When the red paulownia flowers bloom, the sea of flowers seems like an umbrella burning to the sky. The paulownia tree came with the sea trade, and the Dehua white porcelain produced in Dehua County, Quanzhou, went with the sea trade, becoming the renowned "Chinese white" overseas. One red and one white, telling the story of the rise of Quanzhou as a city due to sea trade.

On June 17th, the third route of the "2023 China International Media Theme Interview Event" was scheduled to visit Dehua County in Quanzhou, Fujian to learn about the conservatism and innovation of Dehua porcelain.

Erythrina soil burns "Chinese white"

In Dehua International Ceramic Art City, the Buddha statues in the exhibition cabinets have smooth lines, and the clothes seem to sway with the wind. Standing in front of the exhibition cabinet, it seems like a spring breeze brushing against the face, extraordinary and extraordinary.

China values jade, so the porcelain used in daily life also strives to pursue the texture of jade. The staff explained that the porcelain clay of Dehua porcelain has an extremely low content of iron oxide, which is necessary to produce white porcelain with a dense texture, such as solidified frozen jade. These techniques of Dehua porcelain reached their peak in the Ming Dynasty.

Another major feature of Dehua porcelain is porcelain carving, which incorporates sculpture art. At Dehua International Ceramic Art City, there are many exquisite works on display, even the tassels on clothing can be lifelike. The porcelain clay is fired at high temperatures to create such a delicate and soft texture. What's even more impressive is that these works were fired together, not by piecing them together to showcase the ultimate porcelain making skills of Dehua porcelain.

It can be said that the reason why Dehua is able to produce "Chinese white" is because of the unique soil quality in the local area, and the proximity to Quanzhou Port, which allows Dehua porcelain to go out of Dehua and follow the Maritime Silk Road to the world.

The Indian self media Changjiang, who followed the interview team, said that there is a proper term for "porcelain" in Indian English called "china clay". The term "Changjiang said" can also be used for porcelain produced in other regions, but it also indicates that Chinese porcelain has become a representative of porcelain in the Indian context.

RAI Italian Broadcasting and Television Company reporter Aneiro said that the Italian word for "porcelain" is "Porcellana", specifically referring to delicate porcelain, such as Chinese porcelain. Aneiro said that when visiting porcelain works, a piece showcasing the dance movements of ballet dancers left a deep impression on him. In this work, the dancers have agile fingertips, as if dancing in front of the audience.

Drifting across the sea, watching the tides rise and fall

Before modern times, the rise and fall of Dehua porcelain can be summarized in 10 words: it began in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and declined in the Qing Dynasty.

According to the staff, the rise of Dehua porcelain dates back to the Song Dynasty, as evidenced by the discovery of the Weilin kiln site in Dehua County. In 2020, excavation work at the Weilin kiln site revealed that four kilns spanned the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, providing the first comprehensive revelation of the development process of Dehua kiln and providing evidence for its origins.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Zheng He opened a sea route from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean during his voyages, further expanding sea transportation and entering a new stage of porcelain export. Dehua porcelain located in Quanzhou began to sail across the sea and go global. The Buddha statue products of Dehua porcelain display an extraordinary and refined charm through their materials and craftsmanship, and are popular in Japan and Southeast Asian countries.

In the late Ming Dynasty, with the decline of national strength and the absence of grand overseas trade, Dehua began to produce blue and white porcelain to meet export demand. As a result, the production of Dehua porcelain declined, not as good as in the early Ming Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, handmade production shifted towards molded production, no longer pursuing craftsmanship. The objects shifted from heavy to light, with rough glaze and a lack of vividness in porcelain carving.

Compared to the porcelain produced by many kilns in China, Dehua porcelain relies on Quanzhou Port and tends to face overseas markets, witnessing the prosperity of ancient Chinese foreign trade.

Changjiang said that after the interview activity is completed, he will give the porcelain he took from Dehua to his friends.

"The Chinese porcelain from Dehua is very meaningful," he said.

Through thousands of years, Dehua Porcelain has utilized its unique quality to focus on the high-end market, while accepting overseas customization and labeling itself as Dehua Porcelain. Starting from the modern "prickly tree", Dehua Porcelain continues to write the glory of "Chinese white" in the wave of the Maritime Silk Road.