At the end of June 2002, with the eager anticipation of people in the ceramics industry, the Yixing Ceramics Industry Association was established. I was honored to serve as the president. This journey has lasted four terms and 20 years. 20 years is just a moment in the long river of history, but it is indeed a long time to go by day by day. Looking back on the journey, I lament the many hardships. At this important moment of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Taoist Association, I can’t help but sigh. Thousands of thoughts.
1. Historical opportunity, a rare opportunity
Since the 1990s, with the increasing intensity of reform, Jiangsu Yixing Ceramics Company, a large state-owned enterprise and its dozens of affiliated factories, have encountered continuing challenges to varying degrees. Given the difficulties of development, it is the only choice to use reform methods to solve these historical problems one by one. Therefore, ceramic companies that had long performed administrative functions had to face reality and loosened all their ties. Some went bankrupt and reorganized, some were transformed, and some were reduced to small ones and found contractors. For a long time, they had the aura and trappings of state-owned enterprises. Under the planned economy system, state-owned collective ceramic enterprises that were unable to get rid of the shackles were reborn from the ashes. They overcame the pain and found a new position in the market. On the other hand, rural ceramic enterprises, cooperative and joint venture ceramic enterprises, and private and private ceramic enterprises, which have been bathed in the spring breeze of reform and opening up, have developed smoothly and prospered all the way. In such a ceramic industry situation, how to strengthen industry management and establish an industry association is on the agenda. After many years of appeals from representatives of the municipal and town people's congresses and members of the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference in the ceramic industry, the municipal party committee and the municipal government decided to establish a ceramic industry association. Therefore, the responsibility of this industry has historically fallen on our heads, and I have been given this association. The president has placed high hopes on me, and I secretly made up my mind to rely closely on all members, unite the staff of the secretariat, and start the 20-year journey of the association's work without shouldering its mission and responsibility.
2. Industry platform, tall and big
Thank you to the ancestors of Yixing for kneading mud into utensils and burning utensils into pottery. With a history of more than 7,300 years of pottery making, it has a long history, an orderly inheritance, a complete range of categories, and a wide variety of varieties. Yixing, which is located at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces and on the west bank of Taihu Lake, enjoys the reputation of the world's pottery capital. The ceramic companies founded after the founding of New China have laid a good foundation for the inheritance and development of Yixing Ceramics , including product development, technology accumulation, talent training, market expansion and other aspects. Ceramics has always been an important industry in Yixing industry before the 1980s, a major profit and tax company, especially a pillar industry in Dingshu Town, and a key to people's livelihood. Therefore, the Yixing ceramic industry is a big platform, a platform with a clear line of ceramic inheritance and development and a profound ceramic culture. The establishment of industry associations are all high-quality resources that can be enjoyed. Therefore, we closely focus on the ceramic economy and ceramic culture. Carry out work to promote the prosperity of ceramic culture with the development of ceramic economy, and promote the development of ceramic economy with the prosperity of ceramic culture. Over the past 20 years, this guiding ideology has remained unchanged. Whether it is the development of the ceramic economy or the prosperity of ceramic culture, it has shown a thriving scene. Yixing Ceramics is still an industry with excellent business formats.
3. Ceramic enterprises, self-improvement
In the early days of the establishment of the association, there were more than 800 ceramic enterprises in the industry. As of now, there are 1,248 corporate ceramic enterprises, which does not include nearly 10,000 family workshops. By 2021, the annual sales will be 100 million There are 31 ceramic enterprises with RMB 50 or above, 20 enterprises with RMB 50 to 100 million, and 19 enterprises with RMB 30 to 50 million. The total economic volume of the entire ceramic enterprises has increased from 3.4 billion yuan in 2002 to 17.1 billion yuan in 2021. (The purple sand production and operation part of the tens of thousands of family workshops is not included in the statistics), and the taxable sales of large-scale enterprises year by year always account for more than 57% of the entire industry.Therefore, as far as Yixing's ceramics are concerned, it is indeed the backbone enterprises that are shouldering the heavy burden. Among these enterprises, industrial ceramics are the main ones. On the development path of the past 20 years, they are faced with production capacity expansion, technological transformation, and talent training. , new product development, external market focus, internal focus on management, as well as social responsibilities such as paying profits and taxes, environmental protection, safe production, and employment in accordance with the law. Therefore, in the past 20 years, I greatly admire the perseverance of key ceramic enterprises and am very grateful for their support for the work of the association. There are such a group of outstanding ceramic entrepreneurs in Yixing such as Lu Jimin, Feng Jiadi, Ge Bochu, Wang Meilan, Qiu Yongbin, Pei Xiaoluo, Sun Binghua, and Tan Zhijian Comrades, they stick to ceramics, and they endure humiliation and help each other for decades. They are the backbone of Yixing ceramics industry.
4. Ceramics Prosperity and Talents
Since entering a new era, economic development and cultural prosperity, among the five golden flowers of Yixing pottery, the purple sand, Juntao , celadon , and painted pottery have released their inheritance and development to varying degrees. of huge energy. Especially for Yixing Zisha, with the quiet rise of tea culture, it has brought about a vast market. The market promotes production and production attracts talents. For a time, various factors gathered towards Yixing Zisha, making the inheritance and development of Yixing Zisha beyond people's imagination. Zisha has become an industry that enriches the people in the Dingshu region. Zisha culture has become an irreplaceable city card of Yixing, the pottery capital. It has also led to the innovative development of Jun pottery flower-making crafts, celadon art, painted pottery art, and the prosperity of artistic ceramics. Greatly mobilized the enthusiasm of production. As of 2021, the total number of ceramic artists with various technical titles at all levels has reached 6,440, including 783 with senior professional titles (256 with full senior titles and 527 with senior titles), 1,303 with intermediate professional titles, and 4,324 with junior professional titles ( There are 3,426 assistant craftsmen and 898 technicians). It is this huge technical team that provides a strong guarantee for the development of Yixing ceramics. It is precisely with people like Xu Hantang , Li Changhong , Xu Xiutang , Lu Yaochen , Tan Quanhai , Wang Yinxian , Zhou Guizhen , Cao Wanfen , He Daohong , Gu Shaopei , Mao Guoqiang, Bao Zhiqiang, More than 20 national masters such as Cao Yalin, Li Shoucai, Qiu Yulin, Xu Anbi, Wu Ming, Ji Yishun, Fan Yongliang, Chen Guoliang, Zhang Honghua, Chen Jianping, Chu Jiquan, Lv Junjie, etc. The leading role of more than 100 provincial masters and provincial celebrities has enabled Yixing ceramic art, represented by purple sand, to dominate the domestic and foreign markets. The prosperity of ceramic culture and the continuous growth of ceramic talents have also given rise to industry associations. With more activities, there are more service opportunities for members.
5. The party and government attach great importance to it and leaders care about it.
The establishment of the Ceramic Industry Association was highly valued by the municipal party committee and the government. The main leaders of the four teams attended the meeting to congratulate the establishment of the association. Therefore, the work of the association has received the care and support of the municipal party committee and the municipal government from the beginning. Regarding how to develop the ceramic economy, promote ceramic culture, and cultivate ceramic talent teams in the future, the municipal party committee and the municipal government greatly respect the suggestions and opinions of the association. From 2009 to 2013, "Pottery Style - Yixing Ceramic Art Exhibition" was grandly exhibited in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Taipei, and Hong Kong. The main leaders of the municipal party committee and the government attended each opening ceremony. In particular, the Yixing Ceramics Culture and Art Festival was suspended for 15 years. After listening to various opinions, the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government decided to resume the event and renamed it " China Yixing International Ceramics Culture and Art Festival ". It has been held for four consecutive years in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Each session, "Chinese Pottery Capital Intoxicates China", has a prominent theme, with pottery art setting the stage, economic drama, a strong cultural atmosphere, pottery artists rejoicing, and the level of internationalization increasing year by year. In order to consolidate the status of the pottery capital and enhance Yixing city reputation has played an important role.
The municipal party committee and government have always attached great importance to the development of the ceramic industry. The municipal government issued the "Opinions on the Development of Yixing Ceramic Industry".The Standing Committee of the Wuxi Municipal People's Congress formulated the "Yixing Purple Clay Protection Regulations". On November 15, 2019, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government held the Yixing Zisha High-Quality Development Conference. In the ceramic art circle, there are more than 30 people's congress representatives and CPPCC members in the country, Jiangsu Province, Wuxi City, Yixing City, , national, provincial and municipal model workers, "March 8th" red flag bearers, and "May 1st" labor medal winners. , more than 10 people enjoy State Council special allowance , etc. These love and care have strongly supported the prosperity and development of the ceramic industry. In order to serve the industry closely, the secretariat of the Provincial and Municipal Ceramics Association is located in Dingshu Town. The association’s work and construction over the past 20 years have also received the care and support of the Dingshu Town Party Committee and Government.
6. Service purpose, keep it in mind
When the association was first established, the secretariat consisted of Bao Jiansheng, Wang Mingkang, Ma Dongying, Jiang Yaoji, Wang Xingsheng, Li Yongping and several comrades. One newspaper, "Taodu News", is published on a monthly basis, and two internal magazines, "Jiangsu Ceramics" and "Yixing Zisha", are published on a quarterly basis. Later, due to the increase in workload, more people were gradually added, including Comrade Cui Tinghuai, who is 82 years old this year, the late Comrade Zhang Zhiquan, as well as Jiang Xinda, Feng Jianzhong, Cheng Hui, Zheng Chunhe, Yang Huiling, Wu Weili, Cheng Tongde, Shi Chang, Zhu Yaohua, Huang Yongjun, Wang Zhengxiang and other comrades. The secretariat of the association is responsible for many service tasks of the provincial and municipal ceramic associations, especially the collection and organization of Yixing ceramic cultural and historical materials. It has published "Yixing Ceramic History", "Yixing Purple Clay Pottery", "Yixing Jun Pottery" and "Yixing Celadon". "Yixing Colored Pottery", "Yixing Beautiful Pottery", "Yixing Industrial Pottery", "Purple Clay Research" series 1-5, and various pottery culture picture albums are countless. Everyone keeps in mind the association's purpose of service, representation, coordination, and self-discipline. With only a limited allowance, we go to work every day and never complain. I know very well that associations rely on the meaning and value of their own existence, and rely on service and quality in exchange for their own living conditions. According to the characteristics of the industry, in order to provide precise services, we have successively established 12 departments for flower pots, raw materials, uniform pottery, purple sand, celadon, ceramic carvings, sculptures, industrial ceramics, architectural ceramics, ancient ceramics, female ceramics, young ceramics, etc. The China Arts and Crafts Society has established a Zisha Professional Committee in Yixing, the Provincial Ceramics Association has established a Ceramic Art Professional Committee, the Chinese Academy of Arts has established a Zisha Research Institute, Jiangnan University also established China Zisha Design last year Research Institute, Taodu Technical High School has established Gu Jingzhou Zisha Art College, Wuxi Vocational and Technical College will also establish Taodu Zisha College, and the Municipal General Chamber of Commerce has listed the Yixing Ceramics Chamber of Commerce in the Ceramics Association, making the association's service work more and more detailed. , becoming more and more accurate. Many comrades who serve the branch voluntarily, such as Shi Xiaoming, Jiang Yanbin, Ge Haijun, Zhang Rongfa, Zhou Zhanqun, Jiang Yongjun, Fan Zefeng, Xu Qu, Gu Tao, Wang Xiaoli and other comrades, contribute to the work of the branch. It took a lot of effort. The association has joined the International Ceramics Society as a group member, and has signed friendship associations with the European Ceramics Society, the British Ceramics Association, the Tokoname Ceramics Business Association of Japan, and the Korean Ceramics Culture Association. Domestically, it has established friendly cooperative relations with Kunming Tea Association, Huijia Group, etc., which has expanded access to services for members. The association established a party branch on October 30, 2013, so that party building work and party member activities can be carried out normally. During the fourth reelection in 2017, the Board of Supervisors was established, with Comrade Zhou Quanrong as the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. It is these services that conform to the development of the industry, strengthen the association's own construction, and are close to the needs of members, which have continuously enhanced the attraction and cohesion of the association. It has a good evaluation among local associations at all levels in the national ceramic industry, and comes to visit, study and exchange Ceramic industry colleagues from all over the country meet every year.
7. The ceramic industry nourishes me and I live up to the ceramic industry
I am very grateful to the comrades who have accompanied me and served the association for many years. After all, my personal role is limited. It is also the group of people in the secretariat of the association who are united and harmonious and keep the purpose in mind. , work selflessly, have no self-interest, and are full of positive energy, composing a chapter of great achievements.
I was born in Tao Township. Although my father has been farming for generations, my mother is a true "kiln farmer" (meaning to eat ceramic rice). My maternal grandmother, several aunts and uncles, and aunts and uncles are also ceramic workers. So it’s no exaggeration to say that pottery has nourished me. Especially since I participated in the establishment of the Second Purple Clay Craft Factory in the early 1980s, founded the Sino-foreign joint venture Jinfan Ceramics Enterprise in the early 1990s, and worked at the Ceramics Association from 1989 to 2002, I was almost immersed in the ceramic industry. For more than 40 years, no matter how my job position changed, I have been singing praises for Taodu. After the establishment of the Ceramics Association, I became even more responsible for advocating for the pottery industry. In my spare time, I published my personal monographs "Forever Pottery Capital" and "Eternal Pottery Capital". The three collections "Singing the Pottery Capital" and "Watching the Pottery Capital", as well as a large number of suggestions and CPPCC proposals focusing on the inheritance, innovation and high-quality development of Yixing's ceramic industry, the ceramic industry has nourished me, and I have lived up to the ceramic industry. In the 20 years of working in the Ceramics Association, a rich and colorful service content has accompanied my long schedule. There are joys and worries, achievements and shortcomings, experiences and lessons. In short, as the years go by, everything has become a thing of the past. It is a precious spiritual wealth in my life that I will cherish even more and keep it as a permanent good memory.
The tide of the times is surging forward, and all activities in human society are the efforts of generations of people. Yixing Ceramics Association will keep the purpose of the service industry in mind and continue to contribute wisdom and strength to the development of this industry. As long as you live, ceramics will always be with you. I am very happy and happy to see the inheritance, development, innovation and prosperity of Yixing ceramics, which will permanently benefit the society and the people, becoming the business card of Yixing city and an irreplaceable and glorious industry that consolidates the status of the pottery capital.
About the author:
Shi Juntang, male, was born in Yixing, the capital of Taoism, in 1950. He graduated from junior high school in 1966 and returned to his hometown to work in farming. In 1978, he went to the commune to work as an employee. From 1982 to 1992, he served as deputy director of Yixing Zisha Craft Factory No. 2. , factory director and secretary of the Party branch. During this period, he was rated as the National Outstanding Farmer Entrepreneur, Jiangsu Province Township Entrepreneur, Provincial Model Worker, Wuxi City Outstanding Factory Director, and Wuxi City Model Worker. From 1992 to 2002, he served as deputy secretary of the Party Committee and mayor of Dingshu Town, deputy director of Yixing Municipal Planning and Economic Commission, and director of the Municipal Industrial Bureau. During this period, he was a deputy to the People's Congress of Jiangsu Province and Yixing Municipality. In 2002, he concurrently served as deputy secretary of the party committee and deputy general manager of Jiangsu Yixing Ceramics Company. In the same year, he established the Yixing Ceramics Industry Association and serves as its president to this day. He is a member of the 8th CPPCC, the 9th Standing Committee, and a member of the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th CPPCC.
currently serves as the vice chairman of China Ceramics Industry Association , the honorary director of the Zisha Special Committee of the China Academy of Art and Design, the honorary dean of the Zisha Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Arts, the honorary dean of the China Zisha Design Institute of Jiangnan University, and the Jiangsu Province Honorary president of Ceramic Industry Association and other social positions.
