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In 1915, the United States celebrated the official opening of the Panama Canal by hosting the "Panama-Pacific International Exposition" (also known as the "Panama Fair") in San Francisco. The exposition opened on February 20 and closed on December 4, spanning an impressive nine and a half months.
This exposition remains unique as the only World Expo not named after its host city. It attracted over 19 million visitors, setting historical records for both duration and attendance at that time.
China emerged as the biggest winner among the 31 participating countries, securing a total of 1,211 awards. These included 57 Grand Prizes, 74 Honorary Medals, 258 Gold Medals, 337 Silver Medals, 258 Bronze Medals, and 227 Certificates of Honor.
Winning an award at the World Expo was no easy feat. The evaluation was conducted by a panel of 500 experts from around the globe, using a meticulously crafted set of scoring rules. Awards were categorized into six levels: the Grand Prize being the highest, followed by Honorary Medals (95-100 points), Gold Medals (85-94 points), Silver Medals (75-84 points), and Bronze Medals (65-74 points).
Among the 200,000 exhibits at the Panama Fair, “Yixing” “Zisha” made its international debut and remarkably won a Gold Medal. Notable pieces included the "Duo Qiu Teapot" by master craftsman “Cheng Shouzhen”, the "Sifang Yinjiao Bamboo Teapot," and the "Big Persimmon Teapot" by “Fan Dasheng”, as well as outstanding works by “Jiang Anqing” and “Zhou Wenbo”.
The Republic of China era was a golden period for “Yixing” “Zisha”, marking its emergence on the global stage. The World Expo provided “Yixing” “Zisha” art with a prime opportunity to stand at the center of the world’s craftsmanship arena, showcasing its unique charm to an international audience.
