Traditional Yimeng whistles need inheritance, protection

In times gone by, the humble yet charming Yimeng clay whistle was once the most popular of toys among the kids in the Yimeng Mountain area in East China's Shandong province.

The traditional whistle is colorful with its rough and outlandish shapes and simple, yet ingenious form. It's a typical symbol of Yimeng culture. People usually tie the clay whistle to them with five colored threads and children wear it on their chests, which is a way of expressing good wishes.

Human figures and animals usually feature in the Yimeng clay whistles. The most commonly used colors include magenta, pinkish green, brown yellow, sapphire blue and eggplant purple.

Chuzhuang, a village in Linyi city's Hedong district, has made them for more than 340 years. They were sold in the provinces of Jiangsu and Hebei, providing one of the main sources of income for the locals.

Infinitely charming: Two clay whistles go on show. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

The Yimeng clay whistles are colorful and appealing. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Clay whistles in the form of chickens. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Some of the fine Chuzhuang clay whistles have been kept by State-level museums and have won national awards. They've also become part of cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

Chu Yanchang, an inheritor of clay whistle making in Chuzhuang village, demonstrates one of his pieces. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Nowadays, however, there are few craftsmen in the village, so the skill is in urgent need of inheritance and protection. (Edited by Xue Xinyi)