On July 23rd, all the campers of the 2024 “China Roots Journey” summer camp in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province went to Yangzhong City under the leadership of their teachers. Yangzhong City is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhenjiang City, named after its location in the middle of the Yangzi River, rich in fishery resources, and “fish” culture is its distinctive feature. The campers visited the Fish Culture Museum and the Chen Cusheng Museum Group to realize the excellent traditional culture and feel the charm of modern design intertwined with folk art.

In the morning, the campers visited “Fish Culture Museum”. The museum was designed by Mr. Chen Cuisheng, a famous artist and museum designer from Yangzhong. While appreciating the beauty of the natural ecology, the campers could also feel the harmonious atmosphere of the local people living in symbiosis with nature.

Following the lecturer, the campers visited the museum to learn about the fish culture in Yangzhong and listened to the lecturer's talk about the origin of the Yangtze River and the origin of fish.

   On the basis of understanding the origin and types of fish, the campers learned about the importance of fish culture in Chinese culture and the Chinese people's worship of fish.

 After learning about Chinese fish culture and history, the campers went to the Yangzhong base of the Jiangsu Institute of Freshwater Aquatic Research and the puffer fish breeding base. Yangzhong is the world-famous “Puffer Fish Island of China”, and “Yangzhong Puffer Fish Eating Custom” is listed in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List of Jiangsu Province. Led by the staff, the campers visited the aquaculture base and observed the puffer fish from a close distance.

In the afternoon, the campers went to the Chen Cueting Museum. The campers had a preliminary understanding of the museum cluster through the introduction of the director of Chen Cueting. The Chen Cuisheng Museum Group includes Chen Cuisheng Art Museum, Han Culture Museum, Bamboo Museum, etc. The design of the venues is taken from the smoky south of the Yangtze River and the landscape, with bamboo as the façade of the building, which is quite ingenious.

 After the visit, Director Chen Cueting and teachers explained to the campers about the two folk arts of paper-cutting and topography. Under the guidance of the teachers, the campers experienced the art of paper-cutting and utilized their ingenuity to create their own unique paper-cutting works.

Today's trip to Yangzhong was a rewarding experience for the campers. While enjoying the beauty of modern design intertwined with traditional culture, they also learned and experienced local folk art, leaving behind wonderful memories.