Flourishing in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), purple pottery of Jianshui county in Yunnan province is made from the local "five-color" clay.

The industry generated about 2.42 billion yuan ($357 million) in output in 2018. Over 1,250 companies are registered in the industry.

Visitors to the county's purple-pottery park can visit workshops to make their own creations.

Earthenware made from ancient pinewood-burning kilns is much more expensive than that from modern gas-fired kilns because the output is lower.

"A pinewood kiln will always surprise you. You never know what you'll get until you open it. Each piece has different colors and patterns," said Tong Rucai, production director of Langgui Jianshui Pottery Culture Co Ltd.