Purple-clay pottery becomes Payzawat's new calling card

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Cai Zengle) news: On April 1, 2026, at the production workshop of Payzawat Purple Clay Ceramics Co., Ltd., national-level craft artist Zhang Baoyu looked with satisfaction at his eight apprentices who were about to complete their training. This purple-clay pot master from Yixing, east China's Jiangsu Province, has been working in Payzawat County for two years, training more than 200 apprentices in total, and has witnessed the "seven-colored sand" of this region gain new life.

Photo taken on April 1, 2026 shows national-level craft artist Zhang Baoyu (first from left) explains purple-clay pot making techniques to intern students in the exhibition hall of Payzawat Purple-clay Ceramics Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cai Zengle)

Photo taken on April 1, 2026 shows an intern student makes purple-clay pots inside the teaching and research room of Payzawat Purple-clay Ceramics Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cai Zengle)

Photo taken on April 1, 2026 shows staff transports raw materials at the production workshop of Payzawat Purple-clay Ceramics Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cai Zengle)

In recent years, relying on the unique selenium-rich purple-clay resources of the Qicai Mountain area in the Tianshan range, and with support from China's nationwide "pairing assistance" program, Payzawat County has helped the purple-clay industry grow from nothing to something and from weak to strong. The county brought in Payzawat Purple-clay Ceramics Co., Ltd., recruited more than 50 craft masters from Yixing to join, established a professional research and development team, and built deep partnerships with multiple universities and industry associations both within and outside Xinjiang. This has allowed Yixing's thousand-year-old pottery techniques to blend deeply with local Xinjiang culture.

To build a solid talent base, the county has adopted innovative models such as "school-enterprise cooperation" and "master-apprentice mentoring." It has worked with technical schools to offer ceramic art majors, cultivating more than 100 local technical experts and helping purple-clay techniques take root locally and be passed down through generations.

Photo taken on April 1, 2026 shows staff transports freshly fired purple-clay products at the production workshop of Payzawat Purple Clay Ceramics Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cai Zengle)

Today, Payzawat purple-clay industry has produced more than 300 innovative products, including tea sets and ornaments. These items not only replicate classic shapes but also skillfully reflect local culture and distinctive features. Some outstanding pieces have been selected as "Xinjiang Gifts" and "Kashi Gifts," successfully entering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area market. This purple-clay industry, which integrates resource development, craft heritage, and cultural tourism, is becoming a new calling card for Payzawat County to boost local incomes and prosperity.

Photo taken on April 1, 2026 shows an intern student makes purple-clay pots inside the teaching and research room of Payzawat Purple Clay Ceramics Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cai Zengle)

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