Zhènháo Clay Chicken

Zhènháo Clay Chicken

　　The making of clay chicken toys in Zhènháo and Màozhú villages, Liánzhú Township, Shuǐkǒu Town, Kāizēng County, has a history of over two hundred years. Every year around the Lunar New Year, merchants from Heshan, Taishan, Enping, Xinhui, and other nearby areas drive to these villages to purchase the clay chickens for sale as festive goods. The clay chickens have a rustic appearance and are very affordable, making them highly popular among locals. The first day of the Lunar New Year is the "Day of the Rooster," when a large number of clay chickens flood the market. For a time, the sound of clay roosters fills the air, creating a truly uplifting atmosphere that captures the spirit of “as the cock crows, the world turns bright,” bringing joy and cheer to people. There is a local legend about the clay chicken in Zhènháo and Màozhú villages: A wealthy landlord once hired a young orphaned farmhand. The boy kept a little rooster as his only companion, and the two were inseparable. One day, the orphan accidentally mixed black beans and soybeans together. The landlord gave him until morning to sort them out. As he worried over the task, the little rooster began to crow, and all the village chickens gathered around. The roosters picked out the black beans while the hens gathered the soybeans—within an hour, the boy had sorted them all. On another occasion, a group of bandits plotted to raid the village. They sent one of their men disguised as a chicken vendor to sneak into the village and act as an inside man, planning to coordinate the attack with a signal—a rooster’s crow at midnight. But before the agreed time, the “chicken vendor” hiding in the landlord’s backyard accidentally startled the little rooster. The rooster crowed loudly, and instantly, all the cocks in the village responded in chorus. The disguised bandit quickly killed the rooster and set fire to a haystack. The orphan, hearing the commotion, rushed out and shouted for help. It was still early, and most villagers were awake. Upon hearing the cries, they came running and caught the “chicken vendor” in the act. Hearing the noise, the bandits outside fled upon realizing their plan had been exposed. Later, the disguised bandit confessed the whole scheme, leaving the villagers astonished. They gave the little rooster a grand burial. The orphan, mourning his lost friend, shaped a little rooster out of clay in its memory. Seeing this, the other villagers also began making clay chickens, comparing and competing with one another. Over generations, the craft was refined and improved—the clay chickens could even make sounds. When pushed with a finger, they made a “gobble-gobble” noise; when blown into, they let out a “cock-a-doodle-doo.” The craft spread beyond the villages, and everyone who saw the clay chickens loved them. Merchants competed to buy and place orders, and making clay chickens gradually became a traditional handicraft side-business for the two villages. To make the clay chickens, villagers dig clay in spring, then pound it with wooden mallets before pressing it into tin molds to form the chicken’s head and tail sections, which are then dried for later use. The chicken head contains a horizontal membrane with a tiny hole for inserting a whistle. In quieter times, villagers craft bamboo whistles by cutting short sections of thin bamboo, slanting one end, inserting a small leaf piece, and blowing to create sound. In winter, the whistles are inserted into the hole in the chicken head. Then, the head and tail are joined using oiled paper, painted, and varnished to complete the product. There is a small hole under the front lower part of the head, and another on the left side of the tail. When you blow into the tail hole, the clay chicken lets out a vigorous crow, closely resembling a real rooster in shape and sound. By covering the tail hole with your right thumb and shaking it repeatedly, the chicken makes a “clucking” noise, similar to a hen laying eggs. The ingenuity of the craftsmanship is truly remarkable. It’s no wonder overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau love to take a few back home as special local gifts for family and friends. (Jiāngmén)