The trophy for the 2024 World Snooker International Championship. [Photo/WeChat ID: wxlishui]

A fine piece of Longquan celadon from Lishui, Zhejiang province, was awarded to Chinese competitor Ding Junhui for winning the 2024 World Snooker International Championship, according to Tide News on Dec 7.

This marks the 10th year that Longquan celadon has been used for this international event's trophy,

"The trophy is shaped like an ancient Chinese wine vessel, symbolizing a toast of fine wine to guests from all over the world, showing the hospitality of the Chinese people," said Jiang Yongchang, one of two makers of the trophy.

This year's trophy has a 19 centimeter diameter base, a 26 cm diameter mouth, and a height of 44 cm. The trophy is featured with flanges on all four sides, distributed along the base, body, and neck, resembling bamboo joints, which are considered auspicious in China.

The trophy is made using Meiziqing glaze, a unique celadon glaze produced by the Longquan kiln, whose color is comparable to jadeite. This change yields bolder patterns and more detailed carvings. Additionally, the trophy features engraved elements of classic snooker trajectories to blend snooker with traditional Chinese culture.

"Trophies of this size and quality require multiple firings, and only one out of dozens of finished pieces is selected as the trophy," said Jiang.