This photo taken on May 8, 2026 shows a bowl-shaped building in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua)

　　NANCHANG, May 11 (Xinhua) -- With a 3D printer nozzle rotating as it smoothly extrudes clay, a delicate ceramic work is gradually taking shape -- a scene that would once have been unimaginable to earlier generations of artisans in Jingdezhen.

　　It is happening in a studio in the ancient Chinese porcelain capital, a city in east China's Jiangxi Province with a porcelain-making history of more than 1,700 years.

　　The studio's owner, Michael May, a 38-year-old ceramic artist from the United States, believes this new way of "printing" ceramics can greatly expand both the possibilities and efficiency of ceramic production.

　　"I originally thought that Jingdezhen would reject new technologies, but I didn't expect that there would be 3D printing factories everywhere. The equipment can be rented even in a village," he said.

　　May added that the ancient city's openness and inclusiveness led him to stay, continue his experiments and creations, and offer courses to share his techniques and ideas.

　　Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), ceramics crafted in Jingdezhen have been exported to Central Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa. Today, the city still retains its global appeal, drawing more than 5,000 ceramic enthusiasts like May from around the world at peak times.