Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, is regarded as one of the "three capitals" of porcelain-making in China, along with Dehua county, Fujian province, and Liling, Hunan province, and has attracted a large number of drifters. These are the people who go to Jingdezhen in pursuit of their ceramics-related dream, but without permanent resident status.
Liao Chongyang, 25, a native of Chengdu, Sichuan province who resigned from his job at a bakery shop, is one such drifter. He has had an interest in making porcelain and pottery from a young age, and attempted to open a pottery bar when he graduated from university three years ago. Unfortunately, things didn't work out and he had to close the bar soon after and find other work.
But the burning desire to make porcelain didn't die out, and he tried again.
He left for Jingdezhen, improved his porcelain-making skills, and tried to sell his works. He didn't make much profit during his early attempts. To generate an income he sold bingfen, or ice jelly, a dessert usually sold in the summertime as a street food.
However, with continuous efforts, he has gradually received some orders, and remains hopeful for his future as a craftsman.
The story is told in a four-episode documentary Aspiring Jobs in China 2022, which began airing on Dragon TV and streaming online through Chinese video platforms Bilibili and Tencent Video on Dec 13.
