Old factories in east China's porcelain capital transformed into museums, entrepreneurship platform

Jingdezhen, the world-famous 'porcelain capital' in east China's Jiangxi Province, has managed to transform many of its old factory buildings into art galleries and museums, making room for young people in the porcelain art industry to start up businesses and have exchange with one another.

The traditional porcelain industry is high energy-consuming. With its development, Jingdezhen left a deep impression on people decades ago of a dirty, messy city with chimneys and black fog everywhere. In recent years, Jingdezhen has been determined to change the ceramic fuel structure and solve the problem of waste gas and wastewater pollution from ceramic enterprises.

"We used to burn coal, but later we shifted to gas and natural gas in making porcelain wares," said Liu Zili, deputy director of the management committee of Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experimental Zone.

In 2013, Jingdezhen launched a project to protect and capitalize on its ceramic industrial heritage. All 22 old factory buildings were preserved intact and revitalized with modern architectural structures according to functional needs, thus achieving an integration of historical and cultural values with modern life industry values.

"To be honest, we had a hard time making decisions, as there were many different voices in our city. Should we demolish this place that carries a lot of our historical emotions and industrial memories, and erase it from this area? As a group of factory workers who have been here throughout the journey, we were reluctant to let it go. Instead, we believed that transformation was the way forward,” Liu said.

After three years of renovation, the Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative District opened to the public in 2016. Seen from the outside, the old factories, kilns, chimneys and water towers are still standing, but their functions and business formats have been reshaped: the original factories and workshops have been transformed into art galleries, museums and entrepreneurial spaces where young people gather.

So far, Taoxichuan has attracted tens of thousands of ceramic entrepreneurs, where they can exchange ideas and share experiences.

"I have been in Jingdezhen for seven years. Taoxichuan is now a very open and inclusive place, providing a very good platform to display our works," said Zhang Rui, a ceramic entrepreneur.

In Jingdezhen today, more than 80 well-known artists from home and abroad are invited to create works every year, and more than 400 artists from all over the world have set up studios.

In China, Jingdezhen is virtually synonymous with ceramics, particularly porcelain. Jingdezhen has been making porcelain since the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) and then started to produce official porcelain for the imperial family since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). These official porcelain wares are regarded as the world's treasures and collected in major museums all over the world.

Old factories in east China's porcelain capital transformed into museums, entrepreneurship platform

Bishan District in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality is setting a new benchmark in urban drainage through its innovative "sponge city" model.

Bishan District was selected in February 2017 as a pilot for climate adaptation, and has developed itself into a sponge city.

By utilizing permeable bricks, the ground is enabled to absorb water more effectively, enhancing natural infiltration. In addition, rain gardens function as natural reservoirs, while school rooftops have been transformed into verdant green spaces.

Overall, this innovative approach not only helps mitigate urban flooding, but also contributes to improving the local microclimate -- an exemplary model of ecological urban development.

"What is a 'sponge city'? It's an urban development concept that treats the city like a giant sponge -- absorbing water when it rains and releasing it when needed. The system is highly flexible," said Tang Chuandong, a planning designer of the Western Branch of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.

Over the recent years, Bishan District has developed mini sponge systems.

"Solid buildings and hard ground aren't very adaptable when it comes to climate change. For that reason, we incorporated sunken areas into industrial park designs to create rain gardens -- mini ecological sponge systems," Tang said.

When it rains, water is collected in these gardens and is filtered through vegetation, soil and sand layers before being stored in underground tanks. Multiple small sponge systems beneath large buildings help disperse, manage and store rainwater more effectively. Additionally, Bishan District's sponge city initiative has made the ground more permeable.

"We've laid permeable bricks with a certain porosity. This allows rainwater to seep into the ground, thereby reducing surface water buildup," said Tang.

Tang also highlighted the ecological benefits of transforming school rooftops into lush green spaces.

"Typical rooftops are just bare concrete. But when building a sponge city, like here at the school, aside from the greenery around us, we also green the rooftop. The area most exposed to sunlight is our rooftop, right? We turned the roof into a green sponge system by laying down soil, scattering seeds, and growing grass. It's like giving the rooftop a 'green jacket'. Doesn't it feel cooler?" he said.

"Don't underestimate the small green roof. As the Chinese saying goes, 'No good deed is too small to be done.' One roof may have limited impact, but if many buildings, or an entire city, adopt green roofs, the effect on urban climate regulation could be extremely substantial," said Tang.

China's Chongqing innovates urban drainage with "sponge city" model