(250706) -- IZNIK, July 6, 2025 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 9, 2025 shows a house number plate in Iznik, Trkiye. Walking through the streets of Iznik, Trkiye, one finds ceramic elements everywhere. The clock tower in the city center is adorned with tile murals depicting sailing ships. House numbers on ordinary homes are carefully inscribed on elegant ceramic tiles. Family-run porcelain workshops and ceramic stalls line the streets.

Iznik is known as Trkiye's "porcelain capital." From the 15th to the 17th century, the city flourished as a center for producing blue-and-white porcelain but gradually declined in the following centuries.

In recent years, however, Iznik has been committed to reviving its ceramic heritage and rejuvenating its reputation as Trkiye's "porcelain capital." As part of this effort, Iznik has strengthened exchanges with Jingdezhen, often dubbed China's "porcelain capital."

In 2021, the two porcelain capitals became sister cities, and the Iznik municipal government organized multiple visits to Jingdezhen for study and exchange.

In 2025, Jingdezhen's second official overseas flagship store opened in Trkiye, and the two cities also signed a ceramic industry alliance cooperation agreement. Today, Iznik and Jingdezhen are deepening their ties through ceramics, adding a new layer to the modern story of the Silk Road. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)