Ancient people believed that all things were divided into "yin" and "yang”, and they used this concept to design their compositions. As symmetrical patterns would be too rigid for paintings, painters integrated the principle of yin and yang into the composition instead. For example, they would create painting where one side may have more scenery and the other side less. The contrast can be more than between full and empty, but also congregation and dispersion, emptiness and reality. It can also be black and white, red and green, and other colours contrast. These are some of the profound elements in Chinese painting.

During ancient times when paper had not yet been invented, wall paintings were predominant, and some were painted on silk fabrics. Wall paintings were divided into relief and coloured paintings. The subjects were often related to deities of religion and stories of virtuous individuals. Therefore, the paintings emphasised on the depiction of figures, neglecting the surrounding scenery. This was a drawback of early Chinese painting. As a result, paintings before the Tang dynasty showcased abnormal proportions such as "humans larger than mountains" and "humans larger than trees," lacking a sense of perspective. Buddhist art advocated for exaggerating the main figures and minimizing the supporting characters, hence Buddha statues being taller than Bodhisattva figures. Subsequently, ancient artists adopted this technique of emphasising hierarchy when depicting human figures, resulting in a form of art that was disproportionate.

During the Ming dynasty, the imperial workshops imported a special type of glaze from Europe, known as " falangcai” (vitreous enamel,) which resulted in vibrant and glossy ceramics. Initially, this technique was applied to copper utensils to create "cloisonné." The production process involved casting the decorative patterns in shallow relief on the surface of the utensil, followed by filling vitreous enamel, which was a complex process. In the Qing dynasty, the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen began to use this distinctive glaze on porcelain known as " falangcai porcelain," which became an exquisite pieces of art.

The Shiwan kiln in Foshan, Guangdong, began production as early as the Song dynasty. Due to the local clay's limited resistance to high temperatures, the kiln could only produce pottery with thicker bodies. By the Ming dynasty, in order to increase sales, the artisans at Shiwan kiln started imitating the products of other kilns such as Jun kiln. They particularly excel in creating their own formulas to produce various colours of "transmutation glaze" (or flambe glaze,) like red, blue, white, green, and more. Although these transmutation glazes may not possess pure hues, their unique variations add an intriguing element to the pottery. Another achievement of Shiwan kiln is its unique red glaze, popularly known as “pomegranate red.”

In Fujian, there is a popular belief in Daoism and Buddhism, especially in the fervent worship of the Goddess of Sea, known locally as "Mazu." Dehua kiln in Fujian is renowned for its production of high-quality white porcelain clay and Europeans had a special term for its ware known as “blanc de chine.” With white glaze, potters of the kiln were able to produce white porcelain that rivals the famous Jingdezhen kiln. In response to market demand, potters of Dehua kiln have excelled in the art of sculpting religious figures, producing remarkably lifelike representations of various religious deities. Despite being monochromatic, these sculptures were favoured by both the local community and Europeans.

During the Tang dynasty, the stable society and thriving economy led to a rising hobby of hiking among people. They would appreciate the natural scenery and record the mountains and trees they saw with their brushes. Ancient people believed that nature was composed of heaven, earth, and water. They would leave the top part of the painting blank, indicating "heaven", and the bottom part blank, indicating "water". The area between heaven and water was where humans lived, and they would use "mountains" as a symbol. This arrangement was in line with the concept of "tian ren he yi", the unity between heaven and man. Therefore, traditional Chinese landscape painting was called "shan shui hua", meaning a painting of mountain and water.
Literati’s admiration towards nature contributed to the rapid development of landscape painting at the Song dynasty, making it surpass the previous dominance of figure painting. The ways to convey the sense of perspective in landscapes can be categorised into three methods: "Ping yuan", "Gao yuan", and "Shen yuan". "Ping yuan" refers to depicting the landscape from a level and distant view. "Shen yuan" is a bird's-eye view that depicts the landscape from a high altitude, looking down at the scenery. The most common method, "Gao yuan", is a viewpoint that transitions from a low perspective to a high vantage point, effectively depicting mountain grandeur.

If the vitreous enamel is directly painted on the copper body without casting relief lines, the resulting objects are called "painted enamel on copper." Due to their metal construction, they are more durable compared to enamel on porcelain. One popular type of everyday item in this category is commonly known as "Shaoqing."

The most highly praised products of Shiwan kiln are the figurines. Due to its geographical location, Shiwan artisans are easily influenced by Western realistic art. Their figurative sculptures, including animals and birds, emphasise proportion, essence, and movement, resulting in a lifelike representation. The most distinctive feature is the exposed muscles of the figures and animals are left unglazed in their natural brown colour, while other parts are glazed. Similar to Yixing tea ware, most of these pottery sculptures bear the artisan's name and the mark of the workshop at the bottom. Notable artisans from Shiwan kiln include Pan Yushu and Liu Chuan. Many temples in southern China have large sculptures from Shiwan kiln on their roofs, depicting Chinese opera stories and traditional auspicious flowers and birds, which undoubtedly showcase another achievement of the Shiwan kiln.

During the Tang dynasty, tea leaves were boiled to make tea soup, while in the Song dynasty, various ingredients were added to enhance the flavour of the tea soup. However, people began to brew the tea instead of to make tea soup during the Ming dynasty. The clay used in Yixing kiln in Jiangsu province is not white but brown in colour, known as "zisha" (purple clay.) It is believed that tea utensils made from purple clay can help preserve the flavour of the tea, making them ideal for brewing tea. Artisans from Yixing kiln impressed literates with their ability to carve poetry and drawings on small teapots, catering to their elegant taste. When it comes to brewing tea, the quality of the tea leaves is crucial, and appropriate tea utensils are essential. For example, when brewing Pu-erh tea, Yixing kiln produced teapots with a narrow top and a wide bottom, allowing the hot water to be stored in the lower part for heat preservation, thereby enhancing the aroma of the Pu-erh tea. Conversely, when brewing green tea, the teapot is designed with a wide top and a narrow bottom, allowing the heat of the hot water to dissipate easily, as using overheated water can adversely affect the taste of green tea.

During the Qing dynasty, Europeans introduced the habit of taking snuff as a form of luxurious enjoyment. The small container used to hold the snuff is commonly known as "snuff bottle." Typically, snuff bottles took the shape of miniature vases or jars, and they could be crafted from various natural materials. Porcelain bottles are the most common, including blue and white, painted enamel, and monochrome glaze. Glass snuff bottles, also known as “liaohu”, are still made today and often crafted by skilled artisans. Snuff bottles can be made from various other materials as well, including wood, bamboo, jade, fruit pits, shells, coral, amber, and more. In addition to painting, snuff bottles may also feature carvings. The decorative themes are diverse, representing the outstanding achievements of traditional Chinese craftsmanship.