Day Thirteen -- Jingdezhen - Porcelain Capital - Saturday - 22 March2014

We are docked in Jiujiang (population -- 700,000)  -- it means "nine rivers" and was established as a Chinese Administrative Unit in 221 BC.  Jiujiang is famous for three things:  The Yangtze River, Poyang Lake (largest in China) and Lu Mountain.   This is our local guide, Nancy's home town --- she is very proud.

During the two hour drive (each way) to Jingdezhen -- where procelain has been made in China for thousands of years -- Nancy tells us about this region.   Agricultural products include Rice (on wet land) and rape seed (used to make canola oil) and cotton on dry land in alternating seasons.  We pass a fresh water Pearl Farm and find out that each mussel can contain up to a dozen pearls.  Only the best are used for jewelry -- the rest are ground and used in cosmetics. As a comparison -- salt water pearls are one per mussel.

Farmers are in a state of flux here -- the agricultural tax they paid for over 2,000 years was cancelled and now the government pays them a subsidy.  Feeling financially flush many farmers are building houses -- usually three stories.  The process is to finish the first floor and move in.  The second and third floors are finished as needed or when they have the money which could be several years or not at all.  We pass neighborhoods filled with half-finished structures with families living on the first floor.

Also in the country -- are tombs for the dead -- usually built into a hillside for good feng shui.  There are no cemeteries that we have seen -- just individual tombs all over the fields and hills.

We know we have arrived in Jingdezhen, Porcelain Capital of China, when we see the street light poles made of blue and white porcelain.   Our first stop is a very thorough tour of the factory.  We visit the artisans in the step by step process of making a variety of  porcelain items-- small bowls to enormous planters.  Particularly interesting are the ovens which have been in existence for more than 700 years -- and for visitors a museum.

Lunch is in a local hotel -- a typical Chinese dislplay of platters on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table.  It is quite good --

Next is a stop at the wholesale market for porcelain -- 30 minutes here is plenty -- it is overwhelming -- street after street of shops selling all kinds of procelain items.  I did buy two cups with covers on them for 70 RMB or about $12.  I'll probably see them for less at Marshalls when I get home.

Back on the road for another two hour trip to the boat --- dinner at 6:30 and then a Cabaret Show with our crew as participants.  Amy and Frank -- two of our servers from the dining room are in the show - everyone is very talented.   It's a lot of fun to watch.

Getting close to the end of the cruise -- can't believe we've been on the boat for almost ten days.

Thanks for Reading!

Pat