Chaozhou ceramics

央視國際 2003年05月13日 09:19

　　Over the years， Chaozhou has earned the title of South China's ceramic capital due to its rich clay resource and a ceramics industry that is over 2，300 years old. Fengxi， the center of ceramic production at Chaozhou， is home to more than 3，000 factories， employing a total of 50，000 workers.

　　In 2001， the first Fengxi Ceramic Fair kicked off. The bi－annual event is held every April and October， usually a week before the spring and autumn editions of the Canton Fair. To date， buyers from the United States， Europe， South Korea， the Philippines， Indonesia， Ecuador， the United Arab Emirates， Saudi Arabia and Taiwan have attended the fair.

　　Makers improve product durability， production efficiency:

　　Daily－use items， which represent 25 percent of the output， are commonly made of stoneware， white jade， dolomite， bone and reinforced ceramic. These come with underglazed， overglazed， medium－glazed or color－glazed finish.

　　Some makers however， are moving beyond the usual materials and glazes to improve product durability and appearance. Many makers also are reducing production costs by improving efficiency.

　　They added white jade and bone ceramic to conventional stoneware and are in the process of developing products with a glass－like glaze. The products are claimed to have brighter and smoother surfaces.

　　Lightweight dolomite ideal for art pieces， d岢cor:

　　Compared to conventional ceramic ware， dolomite items are 40 percent lighter， more flexible， and carry brighter underglazed colors. Because the material offers greater design flexibility， dolomite is used more for art pieces and decorative items， and less for dinnerware.

　　In fact， unlike conventional daily－use dinnerware， dolomite versions usually serve a decorative purpose and rarely come in complete sets that include bowls， cups， saucers and plates. Dolomite is usually heated at 800C to 1，000C.