Sea Snail

Sea Snail

　　　　Product Name: Sea Snail

　　Place of Origin: Wenzhou

　　Product Features: Contains calcium, silver, vitamins, and amino acids

　　Product Introduction: Sea snails live in the clean waters of Jeju Island at depths of about 10 meters in tranquil sea areas, feeding on seaweed such as wakame and nori. A local legend on Jeju Island says that drinking sea snail soup can aid recovery after serious illness.

　　Sea snails are widely imported and highly popular in Japan, known as one of the countries with the longest life expectancy. In addition to containing calcium, silver, vitamins, and amino acids, they possess a unique texture and warm aroma.

　　Product History: Sea snails have been present since the Northern Wei Dynasty and are now commonly found in coastal provinces and among ethnic groups such as the Jing, Tibetan, and Mongolian peoples. The Song Dynasty text “Yue Shu” states: “The shellfish, the larger type of conch. It is used in Buddhist music to harmonize with cymbals, what Buddhists call the Dharma Conch.” In ancient times, it was used by northern ethnic minorities for military, labor, and recreational purposes. The Ming Dynasty’s Wang Qi wrote in “San Cai Tu Hui”: “The larger type of shellfish is blown to produce a warbling sound, roughly imitating the sound of a reed instrument.” The Music Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Arts houses a Qing Dynasty conch, made during the Qianlong period (1736–1795), crafted from a naturally grown bluish-white sea snail. Its tip was smoothed to create a mouthpiece and fitted with a copper blowhole. The shell is inlaid with a copper plate, featuring intricate carvings on one side and the four characters “Qianlong Imperial Production” on the other, with an overall length of 35 centimeters. Sea snails are made from naturally grown large sea snails from seawater, with lengths ranging approximately from 25 to 33 centimeters. Their color is usually bluish-white, and some feature striped patterns. The tone varies depending on the thickness and quantity of the spiral ridges. The tip is drilled through to form a mouthpiece, producing a deep, mellow sound. In the folk instrumental ensemble “Zhoushan Gong and Drum,” the sea snail is used as a color instrument. In coastal regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi (Jing ethnic group), and Fujian, sea snails are also used as tools to gather people for assemblies. Among Tibetan and Mongolian communities, the sea snail serves as a religious ritual instrument, accompanying instruments such as suona, horns, drums, cymbals, and gongs. The resulting sound is rugged, creating a solemn, dignified, and even somewhat eerie atmosphere.