A group of students visit the Wuxi Huishan Clay Figurine Factory. [Photo/wxrb.com]
Wuxi's Huishan Ancient Town, known for the city's national intangible cultural heritage Huishan clay figurines, was included in the first batch of provincial cultural tourism bases, local media reported on Jan 8.
With a history of 400 years, Huishan clay figurines were listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
Their development is a result of Wuxi's unique geographical conditions. About one meter under the ground at the foot of the northeastern slope of Huishan Mountain, there is soft, delicate black clay that is quite suitable for kneading.
This local clay in the region is excellent for craftsmen to create smooth, colorful, and vivid figurines, as well as the lovable and well-known "Da A Fu" figure, which represents a hard-working spirit, kindness, happiness, and a helpful personality.
Huishan Ancient Town is home to the Wuxi Huishan Clay Figurine Factory, where excellent works of Huishan clay figurines are exhibited to tell the story of their formation, inheritance, and innovation.
Visitors can also make clay figurines under the guidance of inheritors.
Yixing zisha, or purple clay, is another of the city's famous national intangible cultural heritages that continues to develop in an innovative way.
Yixing Liyong Zisha Co was listed in the second batch of intangible cultural heritage innovation bases of Jiangsu province.
The company works to rebuild the industrial chain of zisha art by utilizing the advantages of the internet. It also opened many zisha-themed museums in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai to promote the traditional art.
