Recently, a special global QR code was printed on the packaging of a set of celadon tableware, which marked a watershed moment for iconic Chinese celadon porcelain manufacturers based in Longquan – a county-level city administered by Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province.

The QR code is a certified code for what is technically called the Global Migration to 2D, or GM2D, and it acts as a kind of global product passport for the traditional celadon industry of Longquan to enter international markets at full throttle.

GM2D is a program initiated by GS1, an international organization developing and maintaining standards for barcodes. It aims to achieve data and information interconnectivity between industries by converting global commodity codes from one-dimension (1D) to the more advanced two-dimension (2D) QR codes by 2027.

Lin Huanyi, manager of one of the 11 pilot GM2D enterprises in Zhejiang – Longquan Oujiang Celadon Co Ltd – is bullish about the change. Lin said that information that used to be difficult to acquire about a product can now be easily accessed. Comprehensive information about celadon products – including the manufacturers, implementation standards, test reports and other relevant information – can be shown by simply scanning the global QR code on the packaging.

Consumers can also give feedback online, which allows enterprises and overseas consumers to communicate efficiently, equipping domestic enterprises to better adapt to the international market. This design is said to greatly facilitate the market processes and helps foreign customers to have more trust in the products.

In recent years, the Longquan market supervision bureau has been vigorously promoting digital application systems such as the GM2D, aiming at connecting governments, the social side, enterprises and individuals.

It is understood that Longquan will gradually extend GM2D to other traditional industries such as Longquan sword manufacturing and the cultivation of Longquan edible mushrooms.