An epic of earth, fire and dreams

"People would take Jingdezhen products and travel along the Changjiang River, then the Yangtze River, and eventually the ocean," Wang says.

"The global journey of the products started here, in the alleys."

Wei adds that the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites also reshape the understanding of China's agrarian society.

"Jiangxi, in ancient times, had a deeply rooted farming culture that could also breed an industrial system featuring openness, strong mobility, and market-driven dynamics," he says. "It conveys that ancient China also has a strong outward-looking dimension."

Today, an estimated 60,000 artisans and artists from elsewhere in China and even from overseas are living in Jingdezhen to pursue their porcelain dreams. Fire may no longer burn the old way, but some ethos lingers no matter how much time changes.

"Jingdezhen is not a time capsule frozen at a single point in history, but rather a window which continuously unfolds," says Weng, the institute director.

"Today, many people live as porcelain professionals in the city. Here, cultural exchange, creation, and innovation are still going."

Contact the writers at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn