In the town of Anfu, at the eastern edge of Rongchang District in western Chongqing, a thousand-year-old ceramic craft still glows in working kilns — 荣昌陶 Róngchāng Táo, the pottery of Rongchang, ranked among China’s three great traditional pottery traditions. The local clay, fine and iron-tinted, fires to a warm reddish body that potters dress in slippery glazes of celadon, sesame, and crackle white.
Rongchang pottery’s reputation rests on two things: the clay and the hand. The district’s kaolin-rich earth is fine enough that finished pieces ring when tapped, and for centuries the town supplied everyday wares — jars, pots, wine vessels — across Sichuan and beyond. What sets it apart from the other famous traditions is the glaze work: Anfu potters are known for “sesame glaze” (a speckled, toasty surface) and thin, even celadon coatings that show the clay’s natural color at the foot. You can watch the whole chain in the workshops — wedging, throwing on the wheel, trimming, and the slow glaze dip before the long wood- or gas-fired bake.
Anfu is sometimes called a “pottery capital,” and the craft is woven into the town’s everyday map: kiln chimneys, clay yards, and small showrooms sit among the streets. The pieces range from humble storage jars to refined tea ware and scholar’s objects, and the best way to understand the tradition is to stand near a wheel and watch a lump become a form in a few minutes. Modern makers keep the old glazes alive while experimenting with contemporary shapes, so the tradition is less a museum piece than a living line of work.
A visit is really a visit to the process. The throwing and glazing happen on a daily rhythm, and the kilns fire on their own schedule, so timing matters more than tickets. Pair it with the folding-fan and grass-cloth workshops elsewhere in Rongchang to see how one small district became a hub of handmade things.
Words and Names
荣昌陶 Róngchāng Táo is Rongchang pottery. 安富 Ānfù is Anfu, the pottery town. 芝麻釉 Zhīma Yòu is sesame glaze, the speckled toasty surface. 青瓷 Qīngcí is celadon glaze. 陶都 Táodū is pottery capital.
What the Locals Know
Anfu’s workshops run year-round, but the most interesting time is when kilns are firing — ask locally about firing days rather than assuming a fixed schedule. Mornings are best to watch throwing before the studios get busy. Reach Anfu by local bus or car from Rongchang’s main transport hub; the pottery area is compact enough to walk. Don’t expect grand museums everywhere — the real craft is in the small working yards, so look for places with clay out front and chimneys behind. Pieces straight from a workshop make better souvenirs than the generic tourist shops.
flowcloud would say that Rongchang pottery is a thousand-year craft you can still watch being thrown and glazed by hand. All checked October 2026.
Where to find it: In Anfu Town, in the eastern part of Rongchang District, Chongqing, where the pottery workshops and kilns are clustered. All checked October 2026.