Porcelain City Abroad provides authentic and affordable travel and study experiences in China.
This 3-week hands-on ceramics education experience begins in Shanghai, where we spend the first days getting acquainted with some general aspects of Chinese culture and society. Well visit the famous Shanghai museum with its amazing ceramics collection, and also make a tour of the modern art galleries around town. Then we board the train to Jingdezhen where we'll spend the majority of our trip. The Porcelain City, Jingdezhen, is a hotbed of artistic creativity with hundreds of studios specializing in different ceramic techniques.
Upon reaching Jingdezhen our group's daily schedule consists of:
•a morning outing
•workshops in the afternoon,
•free studio time in the evening.
The morning outings include:
•museum visits
•ancient kiln sites
•modern factories
•mountain hikes
•busy markets
•tranquil temples
•modern art galleries
•and much much more.
The Jingdezhen modern and traditional production method focuses on an intense specialization and division of labor. The workshops include local experts demonstrating these techniques including:
•throwing,
•trimming,
•carving,
•underglaze/overglaze painting,
•slab building,
•coil building,
•decal application, and more.
Our trip emphasizes hands on studio experience and participants will have ample opportunity to practice the skills they are learning in the workshops. Each participant will work towards a final project of their choice, using local materials and techniques. The main studio option will be the Pottery Workshop's Two Chimneys Educational Center but there will also be a choice of studios based on what type of work the student wants to make.
For a detailed itinerary and dates of the next trip, please contact us today.
Jacob and Porcelain City Abroad seek to offer a trip to students that would be stand out for three main reasons. First, our trip is affordable. We offer a comparable experience at less than half the price of other programs.
Second, our trip is authentic. Right in the middle of the city's vibrant ceramic production district but still minutes from the mountains, our trip offers the chance to see the real dirt and the real beauty of this simultaneously ancient and modern city. Our teachers are real production potters from the area. Many Chinese college students come to Jingdezhen to make their senior projects and you will be living and working alongside your Chinese peers.
The third, and most unique aspect of our trip is our flexibility. Following in the recent trend towards 'a la carte' travel, our program is entirely tailored to the individual. For the first half of the trip, participants will be exposed to all of the various techniques and styles of Jingdezhen. For the second half of the trip, each trip member will need to narrow their focus onto a single project and area of study. PCA will help the student to harness local resources to pursue thier individual interest.
Porcelain City Abroad was founded by Jacob Cohen-Rosenthal. He is an accomplished artisan in clay for over a decade and was fortunate to travel and study extensively in China, becoming fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and well-versed in the Jingdezhen art community.
Jacob discovered this Pottery heaven while on his own university study abroad excursion, and fell in love with the city, its people, language, food, and of course the art! He went on to travel China, mainly splitting his time between Beijing and Jingdezhen. Jacob holds a B.A. in ceramics from Bennington College where he studied Ceramics, psychology and Chinese.
Jingdezhen, also known as the cidu or 'porcelain capital' is the town where porcelain was first discovered over 1000 years ago. Jingdezhen to this day is still a major producer of fine porcelains sold worldwide.
The 'small' Chinese city of half a million has managed to preserve its historical sites while continuing to competitively produce wares on the modern market. The town also has a vibrant international modern art community with weekly events and speakers from many different artistic backgrounds.
Jingdezhen is located in Jiangxi province in Southern central China. In this city the even the streets are just short of beijng paved with porcelain. Porcelain lamp posts line the streets and porcelain tables and trashcans are a common sight. The city has many ceramic museums and ancient kiln sites alongside large and small-scale modern factories.
The 3-week trip to Shanghai and Jingdezhen is $1,400*
This includes:
•Food- 3 Chinese meals a day,
•Lodging in Shanghai and Jingdezhen,
•Round-trip train tickets from Shanghai to Jingdezhen,
•Daily activities, including a mountain hike,
•Transportation around Jingdezhen,
•Entrance tickets to Museums and cultural sites,
•24-hour tour guide and translation services for the whole trip,
•Studio space rental,
•Workshops and workshop materials
(each participant receives free brushes and Chinese ceramics tools)
Not included:
•Airfare to Shanghai (~$1,000 depending on season)
•Visa ($140 + agent fees if you can't get to a consulate in person)
•Studio materials for final projects that exceed $50,
•Coffee, snacks, and drinks,
•International shipping of finished work.
Please note, this is a 3-week hands-on ceramics education experience not a sightseeing tour. This means we don't go to The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, The Terracotta Warriors, The Three Gorges Dam, or Guilin. For participants who would like to stay in China after our 3-week trip, we will be glad to recommend other tour guides and offer assistance planning.
*A minimum of 4 participants is required for this rate. Special group rates may also apply, please contact for more information.
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other progarms:
SUNY Cortland/Sanbao
WVU Program
Please click here to contact PCA and start your Chinese ceramic adventure!
