"China" in English has two meanings, China as a country and china as porcelain. Western have linked the countery of China with porcelain since a long time ago, because the technique of manufacturing porcelain was originally invented in China. Porcelain was developed on the basis of pottery. If calculated from the appearance of the primitive porcelain in Shang Dynasty, it has a history of about 3,000 years.

The techniques of manufacturing porcelain have developed repidly since Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220). Famous kilns producing porcelain products with unique feature, and new pottery, porcelain varieties constantly came forth in subsequent dynasties. Celadon manufactured in Yue Kiln of Zhejiang province and white porcelain produced in Xing Kiln of Hebei province in Tang Dynasty are very precious. White porcelain of Ding Kiln in Hebei province, Jun porcelain of Jun Kiln in Henan province, and celadon of Longquan Kiln in Zhejiang province in Song Dynasty are all priceless treasure. After Song Dynasty, celadon wares produced by Longquan Kiln in Zhejiang began to be exported abroad. Istanbul Museum in Turkey alone has a collection of more than 1,000 pieces of celadon wares made in the Longquan Kiln in Song, Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

After Yuan Dynasty, porcelain industry rose swiftly in Jingdezhen of Jiangxi province, which became known as the Capital of Porcelain. Porcelain ware of Jingdezhen is light and artful in weight, refined and exquisite in design. The most precious items include Blue and White Porcelain, Colored Porcelain. Exquisite Blue and White porcelain and Eggshell Porcelain. A famous navigator named Zhenghe of Ming Dynasty sailed seven times across the oceans to many countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. Most of the commodities he took with him were Blue and White Porcelain wares.

The later developed ceramics in Liling of Hnan province, Tangshan of Hebei province, Shiwan of Guangdong province, Zibo of Shandong province, are also well-known for their respective feature.

Chinese porcelain wares are not only daily handy neccessities, but also precious arts and crafts. From Han and Tang dynasties, Chinese porcelian wares and their manufacturing techniques gradually spread all over the world. Today, China continues to create new varieties of precious porcelain wares.