Lü Yating, born in 1993, is the 15th-generation inheritor of the technique for making Qinghua (blue and white) linglong porcelain. Linglong porcelain is one of the four esteemed types of traditional porcelain from Jingdezhen, often referred to as the "city of porcelain," in east China's Jiangxi Province.
Lü, a native of Jingdezhen, is from a family deeply rooted in the porcelain industry. During the 1990s, her father, Lü Senlin, established Fuyu Porcelain, a brand of linglong porcelain. In 2014, after she finished her overseas studies, Lü Yating, then 21, decided to give up further academic pursuits — and lucrative offers from multinational corporations. Instead, she returned to her roots, and she accepted the responsibility for mastering the art of linglong porcelain from her father.
To make linglong porcelain, grain-sized holes are hollowed out in the blank and then covered with several layers of glaze. Even though it is covered with small "holes," it can hold water without leaking. The crafting process is extremely difficult. Lü Yating learned the craft from her father, and from other master artisans.
In 2019, after a few years of studying under the masters, Lü Yating became the representative inheritor of the intangible-cultural-heritage project for linglong-glaze preparation techniques in Jingdezhen. "Learning to make linglong porcelain requires immense patience and dedication," Lü Yating says. "It starts with studying clay, then progresses to throwing, carving, glaze formulation, and glaze filling — every step demands learning."
Carving and glazing are particularly critical. After the blank is made, it undergoes firing, at more than 1,300 degrees Celsius, resulting in semi-translucent linglong porcelain. High-quality linglong porcelain requires strict ratios of clay, glaze and materials. "Improper ratios mean failed linglong porcelain," Lü Yating says.
After she officially took over Fuyu Porcelain from her father, in 2014, Lü Yating often pondered how to bring intangible cultural heritage to life, so everyone could use it, and not just view it as art. She decided to start by innovating the glaze. Linglong porcelain used to have monotonous colors. Lü Yating resolved to make its color more diverse and vibrant, by making innovation in glaze filling, the most critical step in linglong porcelain production. Lü Yating led her team through more than 200 firing trials, and they successfully developed the Jade Microcrystalline Linglong Glaze and colored linglong glazes. This innovation earned her a national invention patent in 2019. Her other designs, including the spinning top cup and colored linglong daily use porcelain, have won international awards, including the Red Dot and MUSE Creative and Design awards, bringing intangible-cultural-heritage techniques into modern life.
"Continuing to innovate in crafting, technologies and materials is key to enabling Fuyu Porcelain, and even the entire Jingdezhen porcelain industry, to thrive," Lü Yating says. Under her guidance, Fuyu Porcelain has been recognized as a national, high-tech enterprise, a drafting unit for linglong porcelain national standards, and an intangible-cultural-heritage promotion base in Jiangxi. Its linglong porcelain products are now sold in dozens of countries or regions. "Being able to showcase the charm of linglong porcelain to foreigners on the international stage makes me extremely proud as a Chinese," Lü Yating says.
She uses porcelain as a medium to promote "Made in China," and Chinese culture, globally. She believes traditional crafts must adapt to the times; for example, while inheriting techniques, artisans should integrate creative themes, contemporary aesthetics and diverse color schemes. Under her leadership, Fuyu Porcelain has established four sub-brands, as it has steadily advanced along the path of independent innovation. Lü Yating has led her team in exploring new content, forms, artistic expressions and techniques, and in pursuing diverse styles to meet the cultural needs of a diverse market, which appreciates both sophistication and accessibility. Innovation through inheritance is not only Lü Yating's entrepreneurial philosophy, but also the future direction for linglong porcelain.
"In the porcelain industry, inheritance and innovation are inseparable. This is what we are doing now," Lü Yating says. "To enter international markets, we must first understand foreign customs, combine them with Chinese elements, and create works that align with overseas aesthetics. In the future, I want to create some internationally focused pieces to showcase the charm of this ancient art to a global audience, and to introduce Jingdezhen's linglong porcelain to the world."
Lü Yating is not only a skilled linglong porcelain maker, but also a young, far-sighted entrepreneur. Her story proves women can radiate unique brilliance along the journey of high-quality development, especially when they infuse cultural confidence into industrial foundations and empower traditional industries with innovative drive.
In 2023, Lü Yating was named a March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetter in Jiangxi. She now also serves as Vice-President of Jingdezhen Women's Association for Porcelain Entrepreneurs. "As a woman inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, I will remain committed to my original aspirations, and I will adhere to craftsmanship as I strive to contribute to the inheritance and development of linglong porcelain," she says.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly July 2025)
Executive Editor: Wang Shasha
