The 2020 China Dehua Ceramics Expo and Tea Ware Culture Festival kick off in Dehua, a county in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Oct 17. [Photo by Hu Meidong/chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2020 China Dehua Ceramics Expo and Tea Ware Culture Festival kicked off in Dehua, a county in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Oct 17.

This year's expo, covering an exhibition area of nearly 60,000 square meters, was held both online and offline and was attended by 625 exhibitors from across the country. Four themed exhibitions showcased boutique ceramics products from throughout the country, local ceramics brands, and unique tea ware.

Dehua is renowned for its white porcelain and remains a prominent porcelain producer to this day. Kilns in the area started producing ceramics during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and local craftsmen were making porcelain with a cream-colored glaze during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Dehua porcelain is known to Western collectors by its French name, "blanc de chine", and is famous for its oriental aesthetics and timeless beauty.

The sintering techniques of Dehua porcelain have been named Chinese national intangible cultural heritage items, and Dehua porcelain was selected as the national gift for the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in 2017.

The county is now home to more than 3,000 ceramics enterprises employing over 100,000 residents. Its ceramics industry generated 36.3 billion yuan ($5.42 billion) in output last year.