Throwing Clay and Finding Calm Day two started early.
Throwing Clay and Finding Calm Day two started early. I met my MeetPanda local guide at 8:30am in the hotel lobby. His name was Chen. He grew up in Jingdezhen and had been guiding visitors for eight years. Having a local guide turned out to be the best decision of the trip. First, he took me to the Lefang Saturday market. “Don’t buy anything in the first twenty minutes,” he said. “Just look. Then we’ll come back.” I followed his advice. We walked through the rows of booths — young ceramicists sitting behind their tables, explaining their work. Chen translated when the artist’s English ran out. He also pointed out which pieces were genuinely original and which were copies of famous designs. I bought a tea bowl from a woman who had moved to Jingdezhen from Shanghai “to learn how to slow down.” The bowl has a crackled celadon glaze. 180 RMB. Expensive for a bowl, cheap for a piece of someone’s story. Then we went to the Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Museum. Chen knew which craftspeople to talk to. He introduced me to a master carver who had been working since he was fifteen. The man let me try carving a small pattern into a leather-hard vase. My line wobbled terribly.