Jingdezhen

Jingdezhen has been producing porcelain for over 1,700 years. The city supplied the emperors, furnished Europe's royal courts, and gave China its English name (the word 'china' comes from Jingdezhen's porcelain). Today it's a mix of ancient craft and contemporary art — working kilns from the Song Dynasty sit next to studios where young ceramic artists from around the world are pushing the medium. The Imperial Kiln Museum, a striking building of arched red brick vaults, is worth the trip alone.