景德镇市

Why this place

Jingdezhen made porcelain for the Chinese court from the Song dynasty until the end of the empire, and for centuries almost all the finest porcelain in the world came from here — blue-and-white, celadon and famille rose. The old kiln villages, the imperial kiln site and the workshops are still working, and young ceramic artists have moved in.

What to see

• The Imperial Kiln archaeological site and museum, which shows the wasters that were smashed and buried
• The ancient kiln cluster at Yaoli, a Ming–Qing kiln town in the hills
• Taoxichuan, a converted factory district now full of galleries and studios
• The ceramics market at Fuliang, on Monday mornings — one of the great markets of China

What to eat

• Jiangxi food — spicy, with river fish and pickles
• Jingdezhen cold noodles and the local 'porcelain-household' cooking

Best time

April–May and October–November; the Fuliang market is Monday only

Practical tips

• If you want to buy ceramics, do not buy at the airport — buy at Fuliang market or Taoxichuan and have it shipped