--- title: 'Chinese ceramics and porcelain' url: 'https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics' markdown: 'https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics.md' lang: en date: '2026-11-03' description: 'Chinese tea ceramics and porcelain: Chaozhou, Jianshui, Qinzhou and Rongchang pottery, celadons, the Song kilns, Jian bowls, Jingdezhen and Dehua.' --- # Chinese ceramics and porcelain 陶瓷 Yixing is the best-known pottery town in China for teaware, but not the only one. Each school has its own clay, its own way of shaping it and the tea its pots suit best. ![A celadon gaiwan, a black-glazed bowl and a white porcelain cup](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-a1ad127c.webp) Illustration Chinese teaware comes in two broad families. Pottery (tao, 陶) is unglazed or lightly glazed clay with a porous body that holds heat and over time soaks up oils from the tea. Porcelain (ci, 瓷) is fired hotter, until the body vitrifies: dense, ringing and absorbing nothing. Besides [Yixing](https://howtotea.me/teaware/brewing-vessels/yixing) in Jiangsu province, potters make teapots and cups from local clay in [Chaozhou](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/shoula) (Guangdong), [Jianshui](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jianshui) (Yunnan), [Qinzhou](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/nixing) (Guangxi) and [Rongchang](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/rongchang) (Chongqing). The [Yue](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/qingci) kilns were already firing mature celadon under the Eastern Han. Under the Song, the [Ru, Guan, Ge and Jun kilns](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/song-yao) became famous, and potters made black [Jian bowls](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jian-zhan) for whisked tea. [Jingdezhen](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jingdezhen) in Jiangxi and [Dehua](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/dehua) in Fujian remain the main porcelain centers today. In this section - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-523b566e.webp) Shoula teapot 潮州手拉朱泥壶 The Chaozhou shoula teapot of red zhuni clay, thrown on the wheel: how it differs from Yixing, which teas suit it, and how to tell it from a cast pot. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/shoula) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-e0c338e8.webp) Jianshui pottery 建水紫陶 Jianshui zitao: unglazed Yunnan pottery made from five local clays, carved and inlaid with colored clay. How it differs from Yixing and which teas suit it. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jianshui) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-4341c73f.webp) Nixing 坭兴陶 Nixing from Qinzhou: unglazed Guangxi pottery from two local clays, kiln transformation, teapots for Liu Bao and dark teas, care, buying and fakes. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/nixing) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-0a5199b3.webp) Rongchang and others 荣昌陶 Rongchang pottery, made from the red and white clays of Chongqing, plus the ware of Pingding, Tongguan, Shiwan and Zibo and the rock-ore teapots of Taiwan. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/rongchang) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-13826b92.webp) Yue and Longquan celadons 青瓷 Yue and Longquan celadon: green glaze, reduction firing, the secret-color mise ware, Lu Yu’s bowls and Song tea. How to pick a cup and read crackle. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/qingci) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-36a53935.webp) Song kilns 宋代名窑 The Song kilns Ru, Guan, Ge and Jun: what made them famous, where crackle comes from, how modern "Ru ware" cups are made and how to tell good ones apart. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/song-yao) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-dc996171.webp) Jian zhan 建盏 Jian zhan, black bowls of Song-era Fujian: hare's fur, oil spots, yohen, tenmoku. Where the patterns come from, how to warm a bowl and how to spot fakes. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jian-zhan) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-c8477635.webp) Jingdezhen porcelain 景德镇瓷器 Jingdezhen porcelain for tea: the binary body, qingbai, cobalt, doucai and fencai. Which gaiwans and cups the city makes today and how to choose one. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jingdezhen) - [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-ba79755c.webp) Dehua white porcelain 德化白瓷 Dehua blanc de Chine, the Xing and Ding kilns, Liling: how they differ, why white shows the liquor, and how to pick a Dehua gaiwan without buying glass. ](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/dehua) --- ## Navigation - Parent: [Teaware materials](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials.md) - Next: [Glass teaware](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/glass.md) - Children: - [Chaozhou hand-pulled teapot (shoula)](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/shoula.md) - [Jianshui pottery](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jianshui.md) - [Qinzhou Nixing pottery](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/nixing.md) - [Rongchang pottery and other clay centers](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/rongchang.md) - [Yue and Longquan celadons](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/qingci.md) - [The Song Kilns: Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/song-yao.md) - [Jian zhan: black Song tea bowls](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jian-zhan.md) - [Jingdezhen porcelain](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/jingdezhen.md) - [Dehua and Chinese white porcelain](https://howtotea.me/teaware/materials/chinese-ceramics/dehua.md)