About 300 heritage sites belonging to the Longquan Kilns were found along the Oujiang River, and archaeologists soon discovered a common trend: Production hubs gradually sprang up downstream toward the coastline in order to better facilitate export.

"Consequently, the manufacturing processes behind celadon were a microcosm of the early stages of globalization," Chen says.

And it wasn't just products that were exported, Chen notes. The techniques used in the kilns of Longquan also spread overseas amid the global frenzy for celadon.

Since the 12th century, local products that were copies of Longquan celadon popped up in several countries along the trade routes starting with China's neighbors like Japan and Vietnam, and moving onto Iran, Turkey and Egypt－and eventually all the way to Britain. Some typical examples of these are also on display at the exhibition in Beijing.

"For a very long period of history, celadon and its production methods were the conduit for Sino-foreign exchanges both in commercial and cultural terms," Chen says. "We have found a great deal of physical evidence to support that statement."