The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-03-31

Chinese Potter
prepared b.: the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, D.. CO
The greatest industrial city Of China
is Chlng-teh-chen, a place which per-
haps not one American In q hundred
has heard OF. But when 1t is added
that this Out-of-the-way place, 300
miles inland and without rail connec-
tons, 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
over to n single industry as this one.
Though the methods Of production are
primitive, the city must still be classed
as an industrial center. 1t is a rare
| privilege to visit this conservative but
interesting old place and see with ones
own eyes the fascinating process Of
pottery making from beginning TO end.
Chinaware! What does the word
cOnnote? Simply a ware made Of clay
and named for the country that first
produced ii. Whether 1t be a green
tile from q temple roof, a dish, a vase,
or a painted ornament from a wealthy
celestial's home, it all has a traceable
connection with Ching-teh-chen. With
the Chinese, Ching-teh-chen and por-
celain are synonymous.
In order to get a fair understanding
OF the situation, it will first be neces-
sary to let the reader know the To-
cation Of this place and something Of
| the difficulties in reaching 1t.
After locating Shanghai Oh the map
| Of China, one should trace his way up
| the Yangtze river to Kiukiang, south
Of which lies Pc Yang lake. The quick
est and surest way Of reaching Ching
teh-chen is to proceed from Kiukiang
to Nanchang, the capital of the prov
ince, by rail. This trip can be made
In a day, barring accidents, though the
distance is only 80 miles. In prospect
it does not seem a difficult task to
cover the distance between Nanchang
and Ching-teh-chen, 120 miles, but In
reality the trip requires more time
than it takes to travel from San Fran
cisco to New York. One must cross
the east end Of Pc Yang lake and then
push his way up the North river into
the heart Of the mountains, to a point
not far from the Anhwei border.
"Town 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 clearness of which stands out
In vivid contrast to 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-
scribe.
Ch~ing-teh-chen ("Town of Scenic
Virtue") is one of the four largest
towns Gas distinguished from citles)
of Ch.n!N Technically, it is a town,
because Il has no wall. In reality it
is Il busy industrial city of 100000
people, two-thirds Of whom are en-
gagged in the manufacture and sale OF
porcelain. Economically, it is a city
TO stir mems souls. Longfellow, in his
"Keramos," speaks of it. Historical
", ii dates back to the Han dynasty,
go A. D., during which period we find
the first records Of the production OF
porcelain In China, though earthen-
ware vessels were probably produced
some centuries earlier.
Two IGasn streets, about three miles
long and conforming to the contour OF
the river, comprise the principal
th%oroughfares.
The city Is about a mile wide. Fur
naces, warehouses, shops, and homes
are crowded together In a hopeless
tangle. Great mounds Of clipped and
defective porcelain, clay chips and
broken dishes are piled high along the
river bank. In fact, one first notices
these pieces Of porcelain In the bed OF
the stream several miles below the
city, washed down by high water
These dumps must be 80 or 40 feet
thick. They represent the acc'imu-
lated offcastings of the ki,ns for cen
trries. There are now between l5c