What do you think?
Rate this book
The Porcelain Maker's Daughter
From Chinese bestselling author Qiang Yu, an epic historical romance about duty, honor, and the power of true love in the face of disaster.
Southern China, 1822. Looking to marry her off to a wealthy Indonesian merchant, Cheng Yafang’s father arranges for her voyage aboard the Tek Sing—the largest trading vessel ever to sail the South China Sea. For Yafang, the second daughter in a family of master porcelain artists, there is no greater a way to safeguard her family business and secure her future. But as she boards the mighty ship containing hundreds of thousands of her family’s finest porcelain, her heart—and the ship itself—harbors a secret that defies generations of tradition.
From a young age, He Zuyao was raised to hate the Chengs. After decades of rivalry rooted in their mastery of the art of porcelain-making, their disdain had grown into a bitter feud. But when he sees Yafang accosted by robbers on her way home, Zuyao doesn’t think twice before risking his life to defend her. Despite their heritage, Zuyao and Yafang vow to marry each other—a love that blossoms in the most unexpected of places.
But after Zuyao discovers her arranged marriage, their vow is pushed to a breaking point.
When disaster strikes the He household and a legendary Guanyin statue is stolen, Zuyao follows its trail to the Tek Sing. Hoping to find the lost family heirloom and reunite with the woman he loves, Zuyao stows away on the ship. As the Tek Sing departs, a tragedy unfolds in the shadows of its bow. And even if they make it to the new land—can they really sacrifice their families’ honor for something as lowly as love?
Based on the true story of the “Oriental Titanic,” The Porcelain Maker’s Daughter is a moving, unputdownable saga. An immersive historical experience surrounding one of the greatest tragedies of 19th-century China.
Southern China, 1822. Looking to marry her off to a wealthy Indonesian merchant, Cheng Yafang’s father arranges for her voyage aboard the Tek Sing—the largest trading vessel ever to sail the South China Sea. For Yafang, the second daughter in a family of master porcelain artists, there is no greater a way to safeguard her family business and secure her future. But as she boards the mighty ship containing hundreds of thousands of her family’s finest porcelain, her heart—and the ship itself—harbors a secret that defies generations of tradition.
From a young age, He Zuyao was raised to hate the Chengs. After decades of rivalry rooted in their mastery of the art of porcelain-making, their disdain had grown into a bitter feud. But when he sees Yafang accosted by robbers on her way home, Zuyao doesn’t think twice before risking his life to defend her. Despite their heritage, Zuyao and Yafang vow to marry each other—a love that blossoms in the most unexpected of places.
But after Zuyao discovers her arranged marriage, their vow is pushed to a breaking point.
When disaster strikes the He household and a legendary Guanyin statue is stolen, Zuyao follows its trail to the Tek Sing. Hoping to find the lost family heirloom and reunite with the woman he loves, Zuyao stows away on the ship. As the Tek Sing departs, a tragedy unfolds in the shadows of its bow. And even if they make it to the new land—can they really sacrifice their families’ honor for something as lowly as love?
Based on the true story of the “Oriental Titanic,” The Porcelain Maker’s Daughter is a moving, unputdownable saga. An immersive historical experience surrounding one of the greatest tragedies of 19th-century China.
- GenresHistorical FictionChina
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 17, 2026
One of my only DNF. Dragged and was stilted. Hard to read. I pushed myself to get to page 85 and then gave up.
July 5, 2026
Translated from the original Chinese, this novel of love, duty, greed and murder suffers from a stilted style that diminishes the sincerity and drama of the story. Some of the dialog was so inappropriate, I had to laugh but the story itself is a good one. There is a lot of history to be told and the themes of love and loss are universal.
January 5, 2026
Porcelain maker daughter
An samsung historical oriental story based on a real sinking and lost of lives of our of the worst sea tradngedies. Amazing how the autgorwife this story from the historical facts available from few survivors.
An samsung historical oriental story based on a real sinking and lost of lives of our of the worst sea tradngedies. Amazing how the autgorwife this story from the historical facts available from few survivors.
January 15, 2026
Excellent
Being at a loss for words, I loved this story because it had love, compassion, strength, family, etc. The characters bring the story alive, I felt like I was there on the ship....it brought me to tears at one point.
Being at a loss for words, I loved this story because it had love, compassion, strength, family, etc. The characters bring the story alive, I felt like I was there on the ship....it brought me to tears at one point.
April 6, 2026
I quit 20 percent in. This is a genre and country I love and am fascinated with but it was too slow. This is the second book in history I have quit so it wasn’t an easy decision. The details didn’t add to the story and only dragged it on for me.
December 18, 2025
Excellent historical novel.
I read it in less than a week. It kept me interested the whole time. It's a great read. I sincerely recommend it.
I read it in less than a week. It kept me interested the whole time. It's a great read. I sincerely recommend it.
March 19, 2026
A slow read. Historical background info on different dynasties and difficult names to remember. But did give me insight on the import/export business of porcelain makers
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews