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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



PACKING rORCEEAIN IN RICE STRAW TO BE SHIPPED TO AMERICA 



The firm exporting the largest quantity of porcelain and pottery from Ching-teh-chen 

 is a New York concern. Each piece is carefully packed by hand in rice straw before being 

 packed in large boxes. 



capacity. We hear a good deal these 

 days about the inability of Chinese to run 

 their own business firms, but the success 

 of this company, which received the 

 grand prize for the best exhibition of 

 porcelain at the Panama Pacific Inter- 

 national Exposition in 191 5, seems to 

 indicate that they have some business 

 capacity. 



THE IMPERIAL POTTERY*S LONG AND 

 NOBLE HISTORY 



Among the four hundred male em- 

 ployees of this concern are one hundred 

 formerly engaged by the Imperial Pot- 

 tery. In fact, with the downfall of the 

 Ching Dynasty in 191 1, the Kiangsi 

 Porcelain Company took over practically 

 the entire plant of the famous old fac- 

 tory. 



The Imperial Pottery had a long and 

 noble history. It was established in the 

 Sung Dynasty, which lasted from 960 to 

 1279 A. D. The emperor Chiu Tsung, 

 who founded the dynasty, established the 

 manufactory at Ching-teh-chen. and down 

 through the centuries each succeeding 



emperor gave it his support and encour- 

 agement. It is reported that it was a 

 part of Yuan Shih K'ai's imperial plans 

 to reopen the pottery on his ascendancy 

 to the throne. This is but one of the 

 would-be emperor's dreams that was cut 

 short by his sudden death. 



Although the empire no longer exists, 

 porcelain is still used in large quantities 

 by officials in Peking. It was my pleas- 

 ure on several occasions to meet at feasts 

 President Hsu Hsi Chang's representa- 

 tive, who had been in Ching-teh-chen for 

 several months purchasing special wares 

 to be used as gifts in the capital. "\Ye 

 visited the factory which filled his orders 

 and saw there dozens of vases, in every 

 stage of development, later to be pre- 

 sented to foreign ambassadors and Mon- 

 gol princes. 



XO UXEMPLOVMEXT IX THE PORCELAIX 



CITY 



There is no unemployment in Ching- 

 teh-chen. \York is plentiful, but indus- 

 trial conditions are bad. Long hours, 

 poor food, no rest days, and unsanitary 



