The name of our ancient country in English is also called "China", instead of "Central Nation" or "Middle Kingdom" because China is famous in the world for ceramics.

Ceramics is actually the general art of heating common clay to create an ornamental object. All pottery and porcelain are considered ceramics.

As early as 8,000 years ago Chinese tribes were making artifacts with clay. Porcelain was first made during the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 22 AD). The oldest existing porcelain that has been found is thought to date back to the 7th century.

Chinese porcelain making has a rich and varied history. There was a beautiful cracked porcelain style of the Song and Yuan dynasties. It was during the Yuan Dynasty that "blue and white" porcelain made its first appearance. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the discovery of a new glazing technique allowed the artists to use lots of different colors on the object after it had been baked. This method was called "the five colored porcelain".

Most porcelain objects like vases and bowls are usually mounded by hand rather than by wheel. They are then left to dry in the air, glazed and finally fired. The glaze is prepared by mixing baidunzi with impute lime. The glaze ingredients fuse together to give a smooth finish to the porcelain.

The Capitals of pottery and porcelain have been Yixing in Jiangsu Province and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province respectively. During the Song Dynasty, large quantities of porcelain were exported via the Silk Road.