Ceramics on the march: China has an esteemed tradition of ceramics that dates back at least 11,000 years. Today, however, the ceramics industry, famed for producing “fine China,” has been causing environmental problems, resulting in the relocation of some factories. Here a ceramic army stands on guard at the 43rd general assembly of the International Academy of Ceramics in Xian, Shaanxi province, on Sept. 11.

All fired up: An earthen sculpture watches over pottery products at the historic Nanfeng Kiln, built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty (1506-1521), in Foshan, Guangdong province, on Oct. 28. The fire in the kiln is said to have been burning continuously for the past 500 years, part of a ceramic tradition that has earned Foshan the moniker “Capital of Ceramic in South China,” according to a government Web site.

One good urn deserves another: A family of voluminous earthenware pots stands at the Nanfeng Kiln on Oct. 27. The mouth of the kiln faces south, and at the back there is a cluster of banyan trees that wave cool wind during the summer, hence the name “Nanfeng,” which means “Southern Wind.”

Setting the scene: An artist crafts a lengthy relief sculpture at the Foshan Artistic Ceramic Plant on Oct. 27. As beautiful as Chinese ceramics can be, they have been blamed for ugly acid rain in Guangdong’s Pearl River Delta region. In the first half of 2008, 53 percent of rainfalls in Guangdong met the pH criteria for acid rain, a 7 percentage point increase over the same period in 2007. Foshan is one of the delta cities with the most serious acid rain, which lowers crop yields and kills animals in rivers and lakes due to increased acidity of soil and water. Emissions from motor vehicles and power plants also contribute to the problem.

Piles of tiles: Two workers examine tiles at a workshop of the Monalisa Ceramics Company in Yuantan township, in Guangdong’s Qingyuan county, on Oct. 28. The facility was recently relocated from Foshan and is one of many highly polluting ceramics factories that have been moved in an effort to improve air, water, and soil quality. China is the world’s largest producer of ceramic tiles, and output has increased 20 percent annually during the past decade. The government has been tightening environmental controls, however, which could slow the industry’s growth.

Masked for the task: Two masked workers toil away at a production line for tiles at a workshop of the Monalisa Ceramics Company in Yuantan on Oct. 28. Since it and other ceramics factories have been relocated from Foshan, that city’s air quality has improved, with air quality in the first half of 2008 measuring better than air quality during the same period in 2007. Still, air pollution is a problem, particularly when it comes to respirable suspended particulates. Particulates registered at unsafe levels 20 to 29 percent of the time during the first half of 2008 in Foshan.

An uphill battle: A couple of delicate, thin-stemmed plants seem to be fighting for survival as they peek out from the ground Oct. 29 at a hill damaged by overexploitation of ceramic earth in Yuantan. During the past several years, rapid economic development has resulted in an explosion of factories and power plants whose emissions have harmed the environment.

A balancing act: Two women use yokes on their shoulders to haul buckets of water to trees at a hill damaged by overexploitation of ceramic earth on Oct. 29 at Yuantan. Sustaining fast-paced industrial and economic development while also protecting the environment is a tricky task that China is still working to achieve.

Model city: A miniature version of the China Ceramics Industry Headquarters is on display Sept. 26. The real deal, to be an environmentally friendly construction covering 0.67 square kilometers of land area, is being built in Foshan, and the first phase of it was scheduled to open Oct. 18. The headquarters will house marketing, management, R&D, export, and cultural services pertaining to ceramics. The project is part of a governmental restructuring of the industry to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental damage. If successful, it could have a lot more people breathing easy.