At the 2024 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo, renowned entrepreneur Dong Mingzhu made a memorable appearance at a major exhibitor’s booth. As she listened intently to the staff explaining the showcases, the sharp sounds of porcelain breaking from nearby caught her attention and momentarily furrowed her brow.

On October 18th, Dong visited a unique “spot the flaw” activity organized by Changnan Ceramics, a well-known brand from Jingdezhen. During the expo, this booth provided 500 imperfect ceramic pieces daily for guests to test their quality control skills. Tourists were invited to select a piece of porcelain, identify any flaws, and smash it on the spot to receive exquisite gifts prepared by the company.

That day, as the chairman of Gree Electric Appliances, Dong interacted with the staff about the “spot the flaw” activity. “Is there a problem with this cup?” she inquired. When she struggled to find any issues, the staff pointed out a tiny flaw that was nearly invisible to her. “You think this is a problem? For us, we would never even notice it, nor would we deem it an issue,” she remarked.

The staff suggested she smash the flawed cup, but she playfully declined, saying, “I want to take it back as a teaching moment, to show our employees the spirit of rigorous quality control that ceramic enterprises in Jingdezhen uphold, even over such inconspicuous flaws.”

Dong later recounted her experience at the Jingdezhen Forum on the afternoon of the 18th. “When I first walked into a hall and heard the popping sounds of ceramics breaking, I was worried. These pieces are precious; what will happen if they’re damaged? But upon getting closer, I realized they were purposely smashing the flawed ceramics,” she shared.

Reflecting on the experience, she stated, “That cup that was smashed was already a great product in my eyes. For us outsiders, we might never see such flaws, yet the artisans themselves recognize them. What does this signify? It shows responsibility, and behind it lies a deep expression of craftsmanship spirit. Their pursuit of perfection is truly impressive.”