Blue and white porcelains of the Yuan dynasty are known to be rare. In fact, there are only about one hundred whole Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelains in all of China, but there are plenty of porcelain fragments. Now, you can see some of these rare beauties for yourself at Beijing Rong Art Center.

Over 500 porcelain pieces and repaired samples are on display at Beijing Rong Art Center.

This exhibition provides a real treat for blue and white porcelain lovers. One reason is because it's the largest exhibition of porcelains in China so far.

Over five hundred porcelain pieces and repaired samples are on display. The items include Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain samples such as "The Painting of Journey to the West" and "The West Chamber". There's also "Cool Cave", which recalls a story of a lady who waited 18 years for her husband's return from military service in the Tang dynasty.

Some of those samples are being shown for the first time, providing abundant material for research. Much of the attention is being poured on some very thin and exquisite porcelains.

Wang Liying, Researcher of the Palace Museum, said, "The porcelain body is very thin and transparent. The painting is done in fine lines, yet they flow very smoothly. It provides another research angle for the Yuan blue and white porcelains."

At the exhibition, the blue and white porcelains that have been classified within a specific era provide insights into Yuan dynasty history. Yuan blue and white porcelains are a perfect combination of Han, Mongolian and Islamic cultures. But the number of these porcelains existing in the world is only about 3 hundred. Thus they are very precious to researchers.

(CCTV.com December 23, 2010)