Love sails through time: Launch of 'The Porcelain Maker's Daughter'

A Belt and Road–themed literary seminar and the launch ceremony for The Porcelain Maker's Daughter took place on Dec 7 in Shanghai. Translated from the Chinese edition published by Shanghai People's Publishing House in 2023, the novel, originally titled The Tek Sing, is a work of historical fiction that tells a poignant love story set in a real shipwreck in 1822 during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).

The Tek Sing, carrying Dehua porcelain and more than 1,600 passengers, set sail from Xiamen, Fujian province, bound for Southeast Asia, only to meet a tragic end when it sank into the ocean. To research the story, the author Yu Qiang, born in 1944, retraced the ancient Maritime Silk Road from Fujian province to Indonesia. The experiences and anecdotes he gathered on this journey shaped the novel's central romance between the heirs of two rival kiln-owning families. Through their struggles and moral choices amid disaster, the story illuminates both human resilience and the enduring spirit of the Maritime Silk Road.

The English edition, titled The Porcelain Maker's Daughter, was translated by Wang Guiping and edited with support from Peking University alumna Wu Jing. At the launch, Yu expressed his gratitude to the translators and editors for helping bring the work to an international audience.

The book has received a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Amazon and ranks No. 3 in "History of China" and No. 4 in "Historical Chinese Fiction". Readers have praised it as "a beautifully wrought tale that interlaces art, family, and identity against a richly textured backdrop" and for capturing "both the beauty of porcelain art and the heartbreak of forbidden devotion".

The seminar brought together literary experts to discuss the development, significance, and global impact of Belt and Road–themed literature. Scholars emphasized the rapid success of the book's English edition, noting that its warm reception on international platforms marks an important milestone in sharing Chinese stories worldwide.

The overseas success of The Porcelain Maker's Daughteropens a new window for readers around the world to engage with Chinese history, culture, and contemporary values. The event also highlighted the growing potential of Belt and Road–themed literature in fostering cross-cultural dialogue and exchange.