Chinese ceramics are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and culture, as well as a symbol of Chinese civilization and achievement. Chinese ceramics can be traced back to the Neolithic period, about 10,000 years ago, when the earliest pottery was invented by the ancient Chinese. Since then, Chinese ceramics have undergone thousands of years of technological innovation and artistic development, producing a variety of types and styles, such as Tang sancai, white porcelain, celadon, blue and white porcelain, multicolored porcelain, etc. The word "China" in English also means "porcelain", which reflects the close relationship between China and ceramics. Chinese ceramics were not only widely used in ancient palaces and courts, but also exported to Asia, the Islamic world, and Europe as a major trade commodity, along with silk. Chinese ceramics also influenced the ceramic production and culture of many other countries, and contributed to the advancement of world ceramic art. China is deservedly known as the "porcelain country".

Chinese clay products can be divided into two major categories: pottery and porcelain. Regardless of the firing temperature, unglazed clay products are called "pottery". In addition, glazed clay products that are fired at low temperatures (such as green-glazed pottery of the Han dynasty) are also classified as pottery. Porcelain is a type of ceramic product that is made from clay that contains a lot of silica, glazed and fired at high temperatures. Unlike pottery, porcelain has almost no water absorption and makes a metallic sound when tapped lightly. However, the boundary between "porcelain" and "pottery" is not absolute. China, Japan and Europe have different definitions of "porcelain". In China, glazed clay products that are fired at high temperatures are generally called "porcelain", regardless of the degree of vitrification of the clay.

Most Chinese ceramics are covered with a layer of silicate glass called glaze on the surface of the clay body. The basic glazes in Chinese ceramics include ash glaze (a high-temperature fired glaze made from plant ash, about 1,200 degrees Celsius or higher) and lead glaze (a low-temperature fired glaze that contains lead, about 800 degrees Celsius or lower). Depending on the type and amount of metal elements in the raw materials and the firing method, the glaze can show various colors. According to the percentage of free oxygen and reducing components in the combustion products in the kiln, the firing atmosphere of ceramics can be divided into oxidizing atmosphere and reducing atmosphere. The latter is a firing method under an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. In the firing process under anoxic conditions, oxygen atoms in the clay or glaze will escape, and iron oxide will be reduced to ferrous oxide. Celadon is a color change caused by a small amount of iron elements in the glaze changing from iron oxide to ferrous oxide. If fired in an oxidizing atmosphere, it will produce yellow elements. If the iron content in the glaze is high, it will be black glaze. If copper is used as a colorant, it will be red glaze. If cobalt is used, it will be lapis lazuli glaze. White porcelain does not refer to white glaze, but porcelain that is coated with transparent glaze after firing on white clay body. Lead glaze itself is transparent, but it becomes green glaze when copper oxide is used, brown glaze when iron oxide is used, and blue glaze when cobalt is used. Sancai is a type of lead-glazed pottery that uses three or more colors of glaze on the same pottery (sometimes only two colors are also called "sancai"). Due to the different layers on and under the glaze surface, there are also porcelain that use both sancai and blue and white.

Blue and white literally means "blue pattern", which refers to porcelain with blue patterns on a white background. Blue and white porcelain uses "underglaze color", which means applying color on white clay body before applying transparent glaze. Cobalt pigment is used to draw patterns on the clay body, then covered with colorless glaze, and fired at high temperature. The pigment will show blue color after firing. Similarly, underglaze color can also use iron elements to make iron painting or copper elements to make underglaze red. Multicolored porcelain refers to porcelain that paints multiple colors (not necessarily five colors) on the glaze surface of white porcelain. First, transparent glaze is applied on the white base and fired at high temperature, then the pattern is painted on the glaze, and then put into a small kiln called "brocade kiln" for low-temperature firing.

Chinese ceramic history began in the Neolithic period. Although it is still unclear when and where the earliest pottery appeared in China, according to the radiocarbon dating of the unearthed artifacts, primitive pottery appeared about 10,000 years ago (as mentioned later, there are reports that the earliest pottery can be traced back to 20,000 years ago). One of the characteristics of Chinese ceramics is that as early as the early Neolithic period, humans had begun to use kilns to fire pottery, which was a further step than the primitive pottery firing. By using kilns, higher temperatures can be achieved, and harder pottery can be obtained. In addition, by selecting clay, adjusting firing temperature and oxygen supply in the kiln, people have produced various types of pottery, such as red pottery, gray pottery, painted pottery, black pottery, white pottery, etc. Moreover, by using potter's wheels, ceramic vessels with uniform wall thickness can be made. Another feature is the development of glazed pottery. In the history of world ceramics, there are only three regions that have independently developed glazed pottery technology without relying on foreign technology introduction: Western Asia, Egypt and China. China began to intentionally apply ash glaze on pottery as early as the middle Shang dynasty (about 1500 BC), producing glazed pottery. Although there is still disagreement on whether this period of glazed pottery can be regarded as "porcelain", real porcelain was invented in the Eastern Han period (2nd century AD). This is a glorious page written by our ancestors in the history of human civilization. From earthenware, gray pottery, painted pottery, black pottery, white pottery to primitive porcelain, celadon, black porcelain, white porcelain and colorful glazed porcelain and underglaze color and overglaze color porcelain, etc., it shows the continuous development process of Chinese ceramics for more than 10,000 years, which is a great miracle in the history of world crafts. Chinese ceramics have been exported to many countries around the world since the Tang dynasty, and their excellent porcelain making technology and brilliant artistic achievements have had a profound impact on the ceramic production of many countries. They have also strongly promoted the development of world ceramic culture. This also fully shows that China deserves the reputation of "porcelain country".