Jingdezhen became famous for imperial porcelain production during the Ming dynasty.
Located in present-day Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen had access to suitable kaolin clay, fuel, waterways, and skilled ceramic workers. Its kilns developed a large-scale production system capable of making refined porcelain for the imperial court as well as commercial markets.
The city’s imperial kilns produced many of the blue-and-white porcelains for which Ming ceramics are famous. Cobalt pigment, often imported from the Middle East in earlier periods, created the distinctive blue decoration beneath a transparent glaze.
Jingdezhen was not China’s only important ceramic center, and porcelain production began before the Ming dynasty. Its special importance lies in the combination of high-fired porcelain, specialized labor, court patronage, and sustained output. It remains a major center of Chinese ceramics today.