On August 23, 2017, the Guangxi preliminary round of the 3rd National Ceramic Vocational Competition, part of the 2017 China Skills Competition, was grandly opened in Sanhuan Ceramic Town, Guangxi. 92 contestants from four provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions (Guangxi, Yunnan, Chongqing, and Guizhou) gathered in Sanhuan Ceramic Town to compete.

　　Attending the opening ceremony were Chen Yuangui, deputy inspector of the Autonomous Region General Trade Union; Wu Tailong, director of the Autonomous Region Finance and Trade Union; Gao Wei, deputy mayor of Beiliu City; Chen Cheng, chairman and president of Sanhuan Group and president of the Guangxi Ceramic Industry Association; and representatives from various local governments and industry associations. Li Yongcai, vice chairman of the Beiliu Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, presided over and declared the selection competition open.

Opening Ceremony Scene

　　First, Deputy Mayor Gao Wei, on behalf of the CPC Beiliu Municipal Committee, the municipal government, and the competition organizing committee, extended a sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to the leaders and guests from afar, expressed warm greetings to the leaders and comrades working on the training and military training front line, and extended a warm welcome to the contestants.

Deputy Mayor Gao pointed out that discovering, cultivating, and selecting a group of excellent high-skilled ceramic production talents, inheriting ceramic techniques, creating a good atmosphere in the ceramic industry that respects labor and values skills, establishing a new industry ethos of "learning technology, pursuing skills, practicing abilities, and strengthening quality," and striving to build a team of ceramic production talents with good professional ethics and superb technical skills is imperative. In particular, carrying forward and inheriting traditional techniques, enhancing innovation awareness, improving skill levels, and further implementing the cultivation of high-skilled talents are of great significance to the promotion of the ancient yet young ceramic industry.

Speech by Gao Wei, Deputy Mayor of Beiliu Municipal People's Government

Following this, Chen Cheng, chairman and president of Sanhuan Group and president of the Guangxi Ceramic Industry Association, delivered a speech. He emphasized that Sanhuan Ceramic Town has currently established industry-academia-research cooperation relationships with many colleges and research institutions. Through this selection competition, it will further stimulate the enthusiasm of the ceramic industry, improve the skill level of ceramic workers, and have very important practical significance for technical exchanges and technological innovation among ceramic production areas in western provinces.

Speech by Chen Cheng, chairman and president of Sanhuan Group and president of the Guangxi Ceramic Industry Association

Speech by Chen Yuangui, deputy inspector of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region General Trade Union

　　With the conclusion of the oaths taken by the referee representative Li Chengshi and the contestant representative Zhou Ruichang, Li Yongcai, vice chairman of the Beiliu Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, announced the end of the opening ceremony and the official start of the selection competition. The contestants proceeded to the automated demonstration production workshop in the ceramic town to compete.

　　This selection competition was divided into three categories: ceramic rolling and pressing, ceramic throwing, and ceramic sculpture. Each category had 8 places for first, second, and third prizes. The competition consisted of two parts: a practical exam (70%) and a theoretical exam (30%). The final ranking was determined by the total score of both parts. The contestants recommended for the finals will be selected from this preliminary round. Guangxi's preliminary round has 14 places in the finals, which will be decided in this selection competition and will proceed to the finals in October 2017.

Ceramic Rolling and Pressing Competition Scene

Ceramic Throwing Competition Scene

Ceramic Sculpture Competition Scene

　　At 9:00 am on August 25, the award ceremony was held in the Phoenix Hall of the Phoenix Hotel in Beiliu City, and Sanhuan Group's contestants achieved fruitful results. In the ceramic rolling and pressing competition, Li Guangxin from Sanhuan Ceramic Research Institute won first prize; Chen Cong and Deng Shenhai from Sanhuan Xinsong Ceramics Co., Ltd. won second prize; and Zhou Zhenhai from Sanhuan Xinglong Ceramics Co., Ltd., and Du Jincai from Sanhuan Xinsong Ceramics Co., Ltd. won third prize. In the ceramic sculpture competition, Zhou Ruichang and Ou Hong from Sanhuan Ceramic Research Institute won excellent awards. In the ceramic throwing competition, Xie Guanglin from Sanhuan Ceramic Research Institute won an excellent award.

　　At the same time, Sanhuan Group was awarded the Excellent Organizing Unit.