Re-evaluation of China’s Traditional Craft Market and Introduction of Digital Technology
Throughout its millennia-long history, China has produced exceptional crafts such as ceramics, embroidery, lacquerware, and sculptures. These crafts have symbolized Chinese culture from ancient times to the present, with their influence continuing today, particularly through international trade via the Silk Road.
However, with the rapid industrialization and globalization wave of the 20th century, the traditional craft industry temporarily declined. Entering the 21st century, especially by incorporating the latest digital technologies, Chinese traditional crafts have once again gained attention in the international market, advancing their expansion to countries worldwide.
The Chinese government is actively working to preserve and promote traditional crafts, including pushing for innovation and international expansion of crafts using digital technologies and AI.
This has led to the fusion of Chinese traditional crafts with modern technology, resulting in further development. There’s a particularly strong movement among young generation craftspeople to preserve tradition while exploring innovative designs and sales methods using new technologies.
Global Expansion of Chinese Traditional Crafts Utilizing Digital Technology
China’s traditional craft market has undergone dramatic changes with the introduction of digital technology, shifting from conventional handcraft-centered manufacturing and sales to new business models leveraging technology. Here are specific examples:
Design Automation and Optimization Using AI Technology: The Case of Jingdezhen Ceramics
Among Chinese traditional crafts, ceramics, in particular, are internationally valued as cultural assets with a long history.
Jingdezhen, especially, has been the center of China’s ceramics industry, with its quality and techniques highly regarded for hundreds of years. Currently, AI technology is being introduced into the design and manufacturing processes of ceramics in Jingdezhen.
AI analyzes vast amounts of past ceramic designs and creation records, providing information for artisans to reference when creating new designs.
Artisans can now adopt innovative designs proposed by AI while preserving traditional methods.
For example, it’s possible to generate patterns based on specific eras or cultures, or propose new patterns combining multiple design elements.
Another advantage of AI technology is the optimization of the production process. AI automatically checks the balance of shapes and designs of ceramics, ensuring product quality, thus reducing failure rates and improving efficiency.
With the introduction of this technology, Jingdezhen artisans can now create more advanced products in less time, meeting both domestic and international demand.
Furthermore, AI is used to analyze market trends and understand which designs are popular in which regions.
Jingdezhen products have increased their competitiveness in the international market, able to provide products timely according to demand, especially in markets such as Europe, North America, and Japan.
Enhancing Transparency and Reliability of Craft Transactions with Blockchain Technology
Another important innovation in China’s traditional craft market is blockchain technology.
Especially in transactions of expensive crafts, verifying the authenticity of products has been a major challenge, with the risk of counterfeit products entering the market.
To address this, Chinese craft trading platforms have introduced a system to prove product authenticity using blockchain technology.
For example, platforms like Artifact.io record detailed histories of expensive traditional crafts such as ceramics, lacquerware, and embroidery on the blockchain, including where, by whom, and how they were made.
Using this technology, buyers can easily verify the authenticity by confirming the production process, maker information, and the origin of the work. This enables transparent transactions for collectors and buyers worldwide, preventing the circulation of counterfeit and imitation products.
The blockchain-based system is also used in the resale of works. Even when a craft item is purchased and later resold to another collector, the product’s history is recorded, making it clear how the work has circulated.
This mechanism is particularly important in transactions of high-value crafts and rare works, contributing to improved reliability in the international market.
Expansion of Online Platforms and E-commerce Markets
Another innovation utilizing digital technology is the global expansion of Chinese traditional crafts through online platforms. Especially in recent years, with the expansion of the e-commerce market, Chinese traditional crafts are now widely sold online.
One of the most successful craft platforms in China is the major e-commerce sites like JD.com and Taobao. These platforms have dedicated categories for traditional crafts, allowing artisans and small workshops nationwide to sell products directly to consumers.
For international consumers, global e-commerce sites like AliExpress and Amazon China have created an environment where consumers worldwide can easily purchase Chinese crafts.
Particularly for younger generations and overseas consumers, effective marketing is conducted when purchasing crafts online, introducing the history, background, and artisans’ stories of the products. Beyond mere buying and selling, consumers can experience the culture and value of Chinese traditional crafts, further enhancing the appeal of the products.
Moreover, marketing utilizing live commerce and social media is also flourishing. For example, a popular method is for artisans to stream the creation process of their works in real-time while directly communicating with consumers, conveying the charm of the crafts. These new sales methods have become a major trend in China’s traditional craft market, accelerating its entry into international markets.
Experiential Marketing Using Virtual Reality (VR) and AR
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are also playing a significant role in the further development of China’s traditional craft market. In particular, services are being provided that allow consumers to experience the craft-making process or interact with artisans through virtual tours and VR experiences without visiting the workshops.
For example, in Jingdezhen, virtual workshop tours utilizing VR have been introduced, allowing tourists and consumers to visit ceramic production sites through VR without actually going there. Furthermore, with AR technology, consumers can display crafts in 3D at home and experience their actual size and texture, enabling a more realistic shopping experience even in online shopping.
The introduction of such technologies is attracting attention as a new method to respond to tourism restrictions and changes in consumer behavior, especially under the pandemic, becoming a powerful tool to deliver the charm of traditional crafts to more people.
The Relationship Between Japanese and Chinese Traditional Craft Markets
There has been a deep cultural connection between the Chinese and Japanese traditional craft markets since ancient times, with both countries continually influencing each other. Ceramics, lacquerware, and textile techniques that were transmitted from China to Japan have greatly contributed to the development of Japanese craft culture, and their influence remains strong to this day.
Chinese ceramics, in particular, occupy an important position in Japanese tea ceremony culture. From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period, Chinese-made tea utensils known as “karamono” were highly valued in Japan. This historical relationship forms the background for Chinese crafts being highly regarded in the Japanese market even today, with ceramics from Jingdezhen and Chinese lacquerware being especially popular among wealthy Japanese and collectors.
Moreover, in the Japanese traditional craft market, the introduction of Chinese blockchain technology and digital technology is being considered as a reference, and the possibility of technical cooperation between the two countries to strengthen international competitiveness is increasing.
The Future of China’s Traditional Craft Market and Its Impact on Japan
China’s traditional craft market has achieved a revival by incorporating innovative technologies such as digital technology, AI, and blockchain, and demand in the global market is expected to expand further in the future.
In particular, innovations utilizing digital technology are significantly changing the craft production processes and sales channels, further enhancing competitiveness in the international market.
In Japan as well, technical knowledge and cooperation from China could be beneficial for revitalizing the traditional craft market.
By adopting digital technology-based marketing and blockchain-based authenticity guarantee systems in the Japanese craft market, appeal to younger generations and international consumers can be strengthened.
Summary
China’s traditional craft market is once again being valued in the global market due to government support and the utilization of digital technology.
Initiatives using cutting-edge technologies, such as Jingdezhen ceramics, ensuring transaction transparency using blockchain technology, and design innovation using AI technology, are expanding the market.
