The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1922-04-07
Chinese Potter at His Wheel.

prepared by the National Geographic So
Citty. Washington. L. c.
Tie greatest Industrial city Of China
is Ching-teh-chen, a place which per
haps not one American in d hundred
has heard of. But when ii is added
that This out-OftheWay place, 800
miles inland and without rail cOnnec-
lions, is The original home of the pOrce-
lain industry of the world and still the
great Chinese center of the industry,
the town takes on a certain signif-
canoe.
There are few cities In America or
Europe that are So completely given
oyer 10 a single industry as his one.
Though the methods Of production are
primitive, the city must still be Classed
Rs an industrial center. II is a rare
privilege 10 visit this conservative but
Interesting old place II see with ones
OWN eyes the fascinating process Of
pottery making from beginning TO end.
Chinaware, What does the word
c%Ohnote? Simply q ware made Of clay
and named for the country that first
produced II. Whether il he a green
tAS Il a NiIEIC IOpl. al hiNlI, a vase.
Or a painted ornament from a wealthy
celeStials home, il all has a ~tracpable
connection with Ching-teh-chen. With
the Chinese. Ching-teh-chen and pOr-
eelain are synonymous.
In order To get a fair understanding
Of the situation. il will first be neces-
sary 10 let tie reader know the 10
nntiAv ~ fht. tln-.n md .aY,nthinn nf
the difficulties in reaching il.
After locating Shanghai OF the map
Of China, one should trace his way up
the YangtZe river TO kiukiang. south
Of which lies 20 Yang lake. The quick
est az sureSt way Of reaching Ching
teh-chen is to proceed from kiukiang
Co. NanChang, the capital Of the prov
nce. by rail. This trip can he made
In Il day, barring accidents, though the
distance is only 90 miles. In prospect
1t does not seem a difficult task to
cover the distance between N~anchang
and Ching-teh-chen, 120 miles, but in
reality the trip requires more time
than il takes TO travel from San Fran
cisco TO New York. one must cross
the east end of Pc Yang lake and then
push his a up the North river into
the heart Of the mountains, to q point
not far from the Anhwei border.
"Tcwn Of Scenic Virtue"
The first view of Ching-teh-chen
from an approaching boat, with the
smoke issuing from the chimneys of
scores Of kilns, is an amazing one.
The city is located between the mouths
Of two rivers which flow into the North
river, one from the east and one from
the west. The town is naturally sup
piled with an abundance of fresh wa
ter, the c~learneSS of which stands out
In vivid contrast 10 the muddy yellow
ness Of the YangtZe and of Pc Yang
lake.
Beautiful hills completely surround
the city. those on The east rising TO a
height Of about two thousand feet.
The river banks are dotted with pine
and camphOr trees, while occasional
groves Of bamboo in lighter green add
q charm and beauty difficult to de
Ching-teh-chen ("Town Of Scenic
Virtue') is one of The four largest
towns Gas distinguished from cities)
of China. Technically. ii is a town,
because il has no wall. In reality 1t
Is a busy industrial city of 100000
people, t~wO-thirds Of whom are en-
gagged in the manufacture and sale of
porcelain. Economically, it is a city
tO stir mems SOulS. IonpfellOw in his
'Keramos," speaks of ii. Historical
ly, it dates back to the Han dynasty, ,
l20 A. D., during which period we find
he first records OF the production of
porcelain in China, though earthen- {
ware vessels were probably produced 6
some centuries earlier. =
Two main streets, about three miles /
Ong and conforming to the contour of b
he river, comprise the principal
.ho~rOughfares. {
The city is about a mile wide. Fur
laces, warehouses, shops, and homes h
re crowded together in a hopeless s
angie. Great mounds of Clipped and d
defective porcelain. clay chips and b
DISHES are piled high along the
bank. In fact, one first notices d
hese pieces of porcelain in the bed Of [
stream several miles below the t
ity, washed down by high water. p
rhese dumps must be 80 or 10 feet v
hick. sThey represent the accumu- Il
ated ~offcastings of the kilns for CEN t
uries. There are now between 100 Il