[Image captions: Jingzhou's group in Hong Kong | Gu Jingzhou attending a reception in Taiwan] This contact allowed countless admirers to gain a more direct understanding of the origins and essence of Yixing pottery, and their appreciation for Gu Jingzhou's works became almost fanatical. As Yixing pottery's overseas business expanded to unprecedented levels, Gu Jingzhou's artistic status also received recognition from the world like never before. Gu Jingzhou is now revered as the "Grand Master of Yixing Pottery." This honorific title was not self-proclaimed by him, nor was it deliberately planned or manufactured. Rather, it was first expressed by collectors in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1980s and gradually gained widespread recognition. It was only after Gu Jingzhou's death that this naturally came to fruition, and he was quite naturally acclaimed by industry insiders as the "Grand Master of Teapot Art" and "Master of a Generation." In 1986, when Pan Chiping was writing artist biographies for the Yixing pottery exhibition at Hong Kong's Ying Tai Company, he first used the terms "Grand Master of Teapot Art" and "Master of a Generation" to introduce Gu Jingzhou. Later, these two phrases were refined by everyone into the single term "Grand Master of Yixing Pottery," which ultimately became the common designation for Gu Jingzhou's character, conduct, and craftsmanship. From the perspective of the broader historical environment and era, the reason Gu Jingzhou was able to achieve the tremendous accomplishment of "founding a school and establishing a tradition" was not only due to his exceptional personal talent and tireless efforts, but also related to the public ownership system of New China... --- [1] Xu Xiudang and Shangu, *Grand Master of Yixing Pottery: Gu Jingzhou* (Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Publishing House, April 2013 edition), p. 154.