After a successful 2023 edition, Jingdezhen will be hosting another edition of China Paragliding Open this September 29th! We’ll cover the most important information to plan your China paragliding adventure.

Please note that this article and Paragliding China are not an official representatives of the competition but rather exist to serve as a cultural introduction to the Jingdezhen site for the general paragliding audience. For specific questions and information on the competition or for registration, please refer to the official website here.

The Competition

First, here’s a quick rundown of the competition details:

• Dates: September 23-29, 2024
• Location: Jingdezhen, China (more info on this below)
• Prize pool: €25k (Overall top 3, Women top 3, China National top 6 & Women top 3)
• Bonus award:
  • Top 100 pilots according to CIVL ranking in August get full entry fee refund once they finish the comp
  • Overall top 6 will get €1000 of travel allowance

To register or to stay up to date on the competition information, refer to the official competition site.

Where is Jingdezhen

The main flying occurs around the Jingdezhen Paragliding Base. It is located in a small village called Pan Village on the northeastern side of Jingdezhen City, the porcelain capital of China. It is situated on the south bank of the Yangtze River, and is 600+ km or about 6-7 hours drive from Shanghai.

The address is Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen City, Fuliang County, E-hu Town, Pan Village (江西省景德镇市浮梁县鹅湖镇潘村). Approximately at this coordinate: 29.4413030, 117.5141437.

How to Get There

For international travelers, fly into China to one of Shanghai’s international airport, Pudong or Hongqiao. From there, you have 2 options:

By Train:

There are multiple route options for trains.

The easiest would be if you arrive in Hongqiao airport, as there is a train station right outside the airport that offers connections to the paragliding area. From the Hongqiao train station, you want to find a connection route that takes you to Fuliang Dong (浮梁东) as final destination. Some options for the connection stations are: Huangshan Bei (黄山北), Hangzhou Dong (杭州东), and Jingdezhen Bei (景德镇北).

There are multiple trains departing daily, so you can either book the ticket online ahead of time or book in person at the station once you arrive. Note that the logistics of booking a train ticket can be complex for a foreigner, so do some research ahead of time. The ticket should cost you around $35-40 one way.

We will be sharing information about how to get around China with trains as a foreigner in the future so stay tuned.

You will likely have accommodation in the town of E-hu. From the Fuliang Dong (浮梁东) train station, you can hail a taxi that should take you to E-hu for around $2 USD.

By Car:

Train is no doubt the recommended way to get around in China. However, if you really do prefer a car for any reason, here is what you need to know.

Since foreigners need to go through a complicated process of testing and conversion to get a temporary permit to drive in China, renting a car is not really an option unless you are traveling with a Chinese pilot.

The other option is to hire a car with a driver, which could cost about $300 USD one way. It’s not that bad if you can split the cost with other pilots, considering it’s about 7 hour drive/600 km to the paragliding base.

The Jingdezhen Paragliding Site

The Jingdezhen site has excellent flying condition with a very convenient set up. It has only been open for around 2 years and has been hosting various XC trainings and national/international competitions. It might be a bit complicated to get there from the international airports, but after arriving, paragliding can be done with very high efficiency.

The site is shaped like a half bowl, with a basin in the center with connected mountain ridges surrounding the basin on the south. This area offers excellent XC flying potential, many pilots achieve 60-70 km flights, and top-level pilots can push for over 170+ km.

There is a strong local flying community. To get set up for the site, make your first stop at the Jingdezhen Paragliding Base. People there can give you all the information about flying in the local area.

The general recommendation to fly in China is have at least 100-200 hours of air time due to stricter regulations and stronger concerns about liability here, especially for foreign-licensed pilots. With more hours, you would have a way easier time getting access to flying sites around the country.

Here are some key factors to consider:

• 10-20 minute car ride from accommodation to the paragliding base
• The launch is at 560 meters in elevation, and the landing is around 110 meters
• Shuttle from the landing to launch takes less than 20 minutes
• Abundant option for landing in grass and farm fields with little need to worry about power lines
• Widespread roads network for easy retrieve access
• Best flying weather is in late summer to late fall, from August-December. Spring tend to be rainy, and May-July can bring torrential rain storms.

The Accommodation

There are multiple options for accommodation, whether it’s in E-hu or China Village, the tourism attraction park in town.

Options are available for different budgets, like the 4 star hot spring hotel in the China Village used by the official competition for ~$70 USD a night, or simpler, more affordable options for as low as $10 USD in E-hu.

Extracurricular Activities

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to discover one of China’s richest history and cultural capital while you are in the area.

Here in Jingdezhen you can see China beyond it’s hyper-developed megacities, and discover a more traditional, more ancient way of living. Old villages, traditional architectures, terraced tea fields spread throughout this area.

Experience over 1700 years of porcelain production history and the culture and communities that grew around it. As Jingdezhen is proudly known as the porcelain capital of China. There are many museums, attractions, shops, and restaurants worth visiting.

From E-hu, Jingdezhen is a 50 minute car ride. You can get a taxi for less than $20 USD, or take the bus for less than $1 USD. Bus departs from the E-hu station once every hour from 8am-6pm.

Places to Visit:

• Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum: This museum hosts an impressive and vast collection of rare ceramic and porcelain artifacts that illustrates the 1700 years of ceramic history of Jingdezhen, as well as the full 72-step process traditionally used in porcelain production. Free access but requires prior booking online.
• Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum: Based on 14th century historical imperial porcelain kiln, the museum, blending modern architecture and traditional element, is an art piece on its own. The museum particularly focuses on pieces made during the Ming and Qing periods. Free access before 8:30am and after 8:30 pm.

• Ancient Kiln and Folk Customs Museum: While the other museums are more information-dense, the Ancient Kiln Museum is all about real demonstrations and performances. The museum shows the porcelain making process in real kilns that has been around since the Song Dynasty, over 1000 years ago.

• Ceramic Markets: Two of the most notable artisan ceramic markets are in Taoxichuan and Diaosuocichang. They are packed with vendors of all kinds of styles, from traditional to modern, with everyday objects and ones that you didn’t know could be made from ceramics. Perfect for picking up souvenirs. Taoxichuan opens every Friday and Saturday 4-9pm, Diaosuocichang opens Saturday morning 9am-12pm.
• Han Xi Village: A village known for it’s vast rolling hills of tea fields and artistic installations. The village is only 12 minute car ride from E-hu, and accessible also by bus. Highly recommend to go for a stroll in the tea fields and have some tea at one of the tea studios or coffee house.
• Yaoli Scenic Area: A easy bus ride away from E-hu, Yao-Li scenic area includes a well-preserved ancient village as well as a gorgeous natural area with waterfalls and hiking trails.

• China Village: Right in the E-hu town, China Village puts on cultural performances among traditional architecture. Also the flower sea attraction is gorgeous to walk through.

Food to Try

The best part about paragliding in China is that your stomach will be very happy the whole trip. Here are just some of the must-try food from the Jingdezhen area:

• Chewy Dumpling (饺子耙 – Jiǎozi Bā): they look like dumplings but with the texture of sticky rice cake, chewy and soft. They are filled with meat and vegetable on the inside, and often dipped in spicy soy sauce.

• Beef Bone Noodles (牛骨粉 – Niú Gǔ Fěn): rice noodle soup made from beef bone broth. The rich, flavorful broth is simmered for hours and includes tender beef on bones, rice noodles, and a variety of fresh vegetables, all garnished with herbs like cilantro and green onions.

• Youtiao Wrapped Rice Cake (油条包糍粑 – Yóutiáo Bāo Cíbā): a street food snack that pairs crispy, puffy, yet soft youtiao (fried dough sticks) with chewy ciba (rice cake). The youtiao is split and filled with the sweet, sticky ciba, creating a delightful contrast of textures. Perfect as a breakfast treat or street snack.

Activities to Try

• Browse and shop in one of the many ceramics and porcelain store in Jingdezhen City for a beautiful souvenir. The shops there pack the ceramics well for the art to be preserved through international transportation.
• Visit a ceramic DIY studio in Jingdezhen to create your own Chinese ceramic piece. As it takes at least a week to get the piece back, it’s ideal to visit a studio at the beginning of your visit. Arranging for international shipping could also be an option.
• Visit one of the various tea studios in the area. Sit an experience tea in the traditional way in beautiful settings, as an art, as a way of meditation.

Outdoor Activities

• Summit the Huang Mountain: an hour and half of train and bus ride from Jingdezhen North Station, Huang Mountain is known for its scenic beauty, cultural significance, the sea of clouds, oddly-shaped pines, and grotesque rock formations. It offers many day hike routes to the summit at 1800+ meters elevation gain. It’s location between Jingdezhen and Shanghai’s international airport makes it a perfect stop for your China trip.