Industry

Yixing in Jiangsu province has long been renowned for its purple clay art. Boasting a history of more than 2,000 years, the city sits on the west bank of Taihu Lake and is known as China's pottery capital.

Xiwang village in Yixing was one of the first places in China to begin crafting items made from purple clay, and this profession has remained a pillar industry in the village since the Ming Dynasty.

However, the purple clay industry was confined to small workshops that were unable to maintain the level of quality and had little scope to be creative.

"I think the traditional format hampered the development of this art form," village Party chief Fan Zefeng said.

Believing in the power of collective wisdom and strength, he and several other young artists set up a professional purple clay art studio with other villagers in 2009－the first of its kind in the country.

Villagers gathered at the studio to learn and exchange skills. Master craftsmen and art teachers were invited to conduct classes and hold exhibitions to improve local handicraft expertise.

A more competitive marketing approach was also adopted to promote local products.

The production of items made from purple clay soon evolved from a closed format to one that was more open and backed by a complete industrial chain comprising raw material processing, design and production, training, marketing and promotion.

The village now has three comprehensive industry bases, 12 creative art teams and more than 300 art studios. Products from Xiwang have grown in popularity among purple clay enthusiasts.

In 2020, the annual output value of purple clay products in Xiwang was 260 million yuan ($40.08 million), the highest of all villages in Dingshu town. Villagers' annual income has also risen to about 100,000 yuan－among the highest in Yixing.

Villages across the country are striving to develop their local specialties into industries, such as potatoes, mushroom, orchid, apples and grapes.