China's ceramic capital gets more touristy

A ceramic-themed avenue opened Tuesday in Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital, to boost tourism and create business opportunities, according to its mayor.

The Taoxichuan avenue area stretches for 13,000 mu (866.7 hectares) and features a number of ceramic workshops, cultural centers, squares, malls, restaurants and hotels.

The area was once the site of the city's many ceramics plants, which have since been deserted, but the municipal government decided to renovate it in 2014, said Mayor Mei Yi on the sidelines of 2016 International Ceramics Fair.

"We want to develop the cultural industry here and attract more tourists and money," she said.

In one of the plants, a line of french windows stretching over 12 meters have been installed in place of the old red brick wall. Lit by the light from the windows, fine porcelain is displayed in wooden cabinets.

"The city is now a destination," said Ryan Labar from the United States, owner of one of the workshops in Taoxichuan, "Many visitors are art collectors or artists that are keen to explore business relationships with the city." Endi