Tibetan craftsmen turn Yunnan village into pottery hub

Tadrin Phuntsok is one of the best pottery makers in Nixi township, Yunnan province. His family has carried on the craftsmanship for generations. WANG KAIHAO/CHINA DAILY

A fine piece of Tadrin Phuntsok's pottery can easily sell for 2,000 yuan today and he is able to earn more than 80,000 yuan a year.

The man who spent most of his life in the mountainous area also shows an uncommon understanding of how skills are improved. After traveling around China, he went to the United States and exchanged experiences with some veteran Native American artisans.

"Of course, they wouldn't reveal their formula," Tadrin Phuntsok says, laughing. "But I could guess after observing the topography and vegetation of an area."

He says he was enlightened by the fact that Native Americans often use different materials to make different parts of one article.

In 2015, Tangdui village sold pottery articles worth some 4 million yuan.

Tadrin Phuntsok's 24-year-old son, Losang Champa, is continuing with the tradition.

"I once considered being a potter as really low-class work," says the son, who has a Tibetan literature major from college. "But when I was away from home and missed pottery, I realized that it is the foundation of our culture."

Losang Champa spent all his spare time in college on pottery and abandoned a chance to become a civil servant after graduation.

He also considers it crucial to mix modern design with old craftsmanship.

"The only problem here is the poor internet connection. Otherwise, I could open an online store."