Dingshu Town, about 20 kilometres south of central Yixing, is the production centre for zisha teapots and the best place to watch master potters at work. The technique is entirely hand-built — no wheel is used — and watching a skilled potter construct a teapot from flat slabs of purple clay, shaping it into a perfect sphere or angular form without mechanical assistance, is a genuinely impressive demonstration of skill.
The workshops range from large commercial studios to small individual ateliers where a single potter works alone. The distinction matters when shopping: mass-produced teapots made with moulds and assembly-line methods are sold alongside genuine hand-built pieces, and the price difference is substantial. A real hand-built teapot by a recognised artisan starts at several hundred yuan and can reach very high prices for celebrated makers. The market stalls offer a full range from cheap souvenirs to serious collectors' pieces; basic knowledge of what to look for makes the browsing much more rewarding.