On the morning of July 21st, all the campers of Jiangsu Zhenjiang Camp at the 2023 " China Root-Seeking Tour" summer camp went to Xijin ferry to learn about the "Taiping Mud Whistle" and experience the production under guidance.
Zhenjiang Huashan Taiping Mud Pagoda is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage project in Jiangsu Province. The name Taiping originated from the Southern Dynasty and has a history of over a thousand years. When blowing it, it will make a clear sound. Legend has it that when children blow mud and scream, they will blow away bad luck. Its sound has traveled for thousands of years, always blessing the children who blow it in peace and healthy growth.
In the exhibition area, intangible cultural heritage inheritor Zhou Baokang led the campers to appreciate some classic works of Taiping Mud Whistle.
After the campers entered the experience area, inheritor Tang Ying explained the legendary story of the Taiping Mud Whistle to the campers. Legend has it that the mud whistle was originally made in memory of General Zhang Bo who came to Zhenjiang to control the water with Dayu. The villagers used the sound of the mud whistle to summon General Zhang's soul for peace. From this story, the campers learned about the origin of the name.
Then the inheritor presented several basic shapes of the mud whistle, such as fish , dragon, purse and double dragons playing with pearls, and explained their respective meanings. After the introduction, the inheritor asked questions about the content just explained. The campers responded positively and won the mud called small prize prepared by the inheritor. The interesting Q&A session greatly increased the learning enthusiasm of the campers.
After the inheritor explained the basic production tools and their usage, the campers officially began to produce their own Taiping mud whistle works under guidance. Some campers choose to collaborate with several people to complete a work, while others choose to design and produce their own.
Kim Jong woo from the Germany has made several different styles and he said, 'I will come and learn how to make them after graduating from university.'. Jin Ying also engraved her name in seal script on her works The campers helped each other and completed a unique work.
The Taiping mud whistle carries beautiful blessings, and I hope this blessing can accompany the campers and bring them health and safety.