{"id":600,"date":"2025-02-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=600"},"modified":"2025-09-10T17:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T09:19:14","slug":"tangyaming_2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2025\/02\/04\/tangyaming_2025\/","title":{"rendered":"A live\u00adly ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture course inspired by the leg\u00adend of silk\u2019s ori\u00adgin"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In ancient Chi\u00adnese mythol\u00ado\u00adgy, Leizu is known as the \u201cSilk\u00adworm God\u00addess.\u201d She dis\u00adcov\u00adered silk and taught the peo\u00adple how to raise silk\u00adworms and weave cloth, giv\u00ading rise to silk civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion. \u201cXiao\u00adqing Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms\u201d revolves around the ori\u00adgins of silk. How\u00adev\u00ader, this is not sim\u00adply a pop\u00adu\u00adlar sci\u00adence book retelling the sto\u00adry of Leizu. Instead, it is a live\u00adly pic\u00adture book that, through the expe\u00adri\u00adences of a young girl rais\u00ading silk\u00adworms, reveals the ori\u00adgins of ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture and how silk has become a glob\u00adal con\u00adnec\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This \u201cSilk\u00adworm Cul\u00adture Fairy Tale,\u201d co-cre\u00adat\u00aded by author Tang Yam\u00ading and illus\u00adtra\u00adtor Zhao Wan\u00adqi, presents a warm, del\u00adi\u00adcate, and child\u00adlike world. Tang Yam\u00ading, a long\u00adtime pic\u00adture book edi\u00adtor and cre\u00adator, is deeply versed in the unique nar\u00adra\u00adtive medi\u00adum of pic\u00adture books, while Zhao Wan\u00adqi\u2019s artis\u00adtic style blends the allure of tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Chi\u00adnese paint\u00ading with the flu\u00adid\u00adi\u00adty of mod\u00adern chil\u00addren\u2019s pic\u00adture books, result\u00ading in a work that not only cap\u00adtures his\u00adto\u00adry and cul\u00adture but also imbues it with child\u00adlike inter\u00adest and artis\u00adtic beau\u00adty. This is a fable about grow\u00ading up, show\u00adcas\u00ading the pro\u00adfound con\u00adnec\u00adtion between chil\u00addren and nature, labor, and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-fic\u00adtion sto\u00adries told with fic\u00adtion\u00adal tech\u00adniques<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most spe\u00adcial thing about this book is that it is a fic\u00adtion\u00adal sto\u00adry with non-fic\u00adtion\u00adal con\u00adtent. Its pur\u00adpose seems to be to tell young read\u00aders about the ori\u00adgin of silk, but it uses a nar\u00adra\u00adtive method that makes chil\u00addren feel close. Through the expe\u00adri\u00adence of a girl rais\u00ading silk\u00adworms, read\u00aders can nat\u00adu\u00adral\u00adly under\u00adstand this ancient cul\u00adture while fol\u00adlow\u00ading the pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnist\u2019s explo\u00adration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sto\u00adry, Xiao\u00adqing isn\u2019t the \u201cSilk\u00adworm God,\u201d but rather a maid\u00adser\u00advant who served the leg\u00adendary Leizu. She can be seen as an ordi\u00adnary peas\u00adant girl liv\u00ading in ancient times. This iden\u00adti\u00adty makes the sto\u00adry more relat\u00adable, allow\u00ading young read\u00aders to eas\u00adi\u00adly iden\u00adti\u00adfy with and relate to it. Xiao\u00adqing\u2019s con\u00adstant long\u00ading for home and fam\u00adi\u00adly runs through the sto\u00adry, lend\u00ading her devel\u00adop\u00adment a more authen\u00adtic and mul\u00adti\u00adfac\u00adeted char\u00adac\u00adter. Even mod\u00adern chil\u00addren, as they leave home for school (per\u00adhaps even attend\u00ading board\u00ading school), expe\u00adri\u00adence sim\u00adi\u00adlar emo\u00adtions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the begin\u00adning of the sto\u00adry, Xiao\u00adqing has an instinc\u00adtive fear of cater\u00adpil\u00adlars, hav\u00ading once had one land on her neck and crawl into her clothes. This set\u00adting per\u00adfect\u00adly res\u00adonates with chil\u00addren\u2019s psy\u00adchol\u00ado\u00adgy, allow\u00ading young read\u00aders to empathize. As the sto\u00adry pro\u00adgress\u00ades, Xiao\u00adqing\u2019s atti\u00adtude sub\u00adtly shifts. A chance dis\u00adcov\u00adery sparks her inter\u00adest in silk\u00adworms. From ini\u00adtial curios\u00adi\u00adty to a grad\u00adual com\u00admit\u00adment to care, she wit\u00adness\u00ades the silk\u00adworms\u2019 cocoons, silk pro\u00adduc\u00adtion, and meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis into moths, expe\u00adri\u00adenc\u00ading the entire silk\u00adworm-rear\u00ading process. This jour\u00adney not only pro\u00advides her with expe\u00adri\u00adence and knowl\u00adedge but also helps her over\u00adcome her fear of cater\u00adpil\u00adlars, demon\u00adstrat\u00ading her per\u00adson\u00adal growth. This nar\u00adra\u00adtive approach, told from a child\u2019s per\u00adspec\u00adtive, makes the sto\u00adry both acces\u00adsi\u00adble and play\u00adful, while also bring\u00ading the oth\u00ader\u00adwise seri\u00adous his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal and cul\u00adtur\u00adal con\u00adtent to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Prac\u00adti\u00adcal Guide to Ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture in a Dou\u00adble-Line Nar\u00adra\u00adtive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cXiao Qing Rais\u00ades Silk\u00adworms\u201d has an inter\u00adest\u00ading nar\u00adra\u00adtive style, employ\u00ading a dual nar\u00adra\u00adtive arc: one focus\u00ading on Xiao Qing\u2019s per\u00adson\u00adal growth, the oth\u00ader on the knowl\u00adedge and process\u00ades of silk\u00adworm rear\u00ading. This approach imbues the book with both sto\u00adry\u00adtelling and sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic val\u00adue, mak\u00ading it a fairy\u00adtale ver\u00adsion of a \u201cGuide to Silk\u00adworm Rear\u00ading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the sto\u00adry pro\u00adgress\u00ades, the book describes in detail the var\u00adi\u00adous stages of silk\u00adworm rear\u00ading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Silk\u00adworm egg hatch\u00ading<\/strong>: Xiao\u00adqing and her fam\u00adi\u00adly wait\u00aded qui\u00adet\u00adly for the moment when the silk\u00adworm eggs hatched, full of antic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Silk\u00adworm feed\u00ading:<\/strong>The rustling sound of the young silk\u00adworms eat\u00ading mul\u00adber\u00adry leaves allows chil\u00addren to intu\u00aditive\u00adly feel the growth sta\u00adtus of the silk\u00adworms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Cocoon\u00ading process:<\/strong>Xiao\u00adqing and her fam\u00adi\u00adly watched how silk\u00adworms spun silk and hid them\u00adselves in cocoons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Silk draw\u00ading and weav\u00ading:<\/strong>From draw\u00ading silk, spin\u00adning to weav\u00ading, the entire silk pro\u00adduc\u00adtion process is dis\u00adplayed, and the dye\u00ading process is added lat\u00ader. This knowl\u00adedge is nat\u00adu\u00adral\u00adly embed\u00added in the sto\u00adry rather than being explained stiffly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This nar\u00adra\u00adtive method allows chil\u00addren to enjoy the fun of the sto\u00adry while learn\u00ading the basic knowl\u00adedge of silk\u00adworm rear\u00ading imper\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adbly, tru\u00adly achiev\u00ading the goal of com\u00adbin\u00ading edu\u00adca\u00adtion with enter\u00adtain\u00adment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illus\u00adtra\u00adtions that com\u00adbine tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal charm with the nar\u00adra\u00adtive inter\u00adest of pic\u00adture books<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In \u201cBorn to Be Tal\u00adent\u00aded: The Sto\u00adry of Li Bai,\u201d pub\u00adlished in 2024, Zhao Wan\u00adqi ful\u00adly demon\u00adstrates her affin\u00adi\u00adty for tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Chi\u00adnese paint\u00ading. Her illus\u00adtra\u00adtions are soft and del\u00adi\u00adcate, with warm col\u00adors and a strong sense of ori\u00aden\u00adtal beau\u00adty. While the pre\u00advi\u00adous book focused on the beau\u00adty of the hey\u00adday of the Tang Dynasty, \u201cXiao Qing Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms\u201d uses details such as plants, cloth\u00ading, and archi\u00adtec\u00adture to cre\u00adate a warm atmos\u00adphere of an ancient vil\u00adlage, bring\u00ading chil\u00addren clos\u00ader to the cul\u00adture of ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lit\u00adtle white rab\u00adbit in the con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00adous nar\u00adra\u00adtive is a par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly strik\u00ading detail. It\u2019s not just a casu\u00adal\u00adly added back\u00adground ele\u00adment, but a cru\u00adcial visu\u00adal sym\u00adbol through\u00adout the book. The rab\u00adbit\u2019s pres\u00adence often occurs when Xiao\u00adqing is explor\u00ading silk\u00adworm rear\u00ading and express\u00ading fear, doubt, or sur\u00adprise. Its pres\u00adence allows young read\u00aders to expe\u00adri\u00adence Xiao\u00adqing\u2019s emo\u00adtion\u00adal shifts from a dif\u00adfer\u00adent per\u00adspec\u00adtive. The rab\u00adbit also sym\u00adbol\u00adizes gen\u00adtle\u00adness and the con\u00adti\u00adnu\u00adity of life, a sub\u00adtle echo of the silk\u00adwor\u00adm\u2019s lifes\u00adpan, adding depth to the over\u00adall sto\u00adry. This lit\u00adtle crea\u00adture, rem\u00adi\u00adnis\u00adcent of a moon rab\u00adbit, serves as Xiao\u00adqing\u2019s com\u00adpan\u00adion and, to some extent, sym\u00adbol\u00adizes the close rela\u00adtion\u00adship between chil\u00addren and nature. This makes the sto\u00adry feel warm and approach\u00adable, res\u00adonat\u00ading with young read\u00aders who appre\u00adci\u00adate sub\u00adtle details in the images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impres\u00adsive \u201cSilk\u00adworm Breed\u00ading Course\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inter\u00adest\u00ading\u00adly, \u201cKoharu Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms\u201d remind\u00aded me of a Japan\u00adese film I watched as a child, \u201cTeacher\u2019s Score\u00adbook\u201d (1977). I lat\u00ader learned it was based on the nov\u00adel of the same name by Japan\u00adese chil\u00addren\u2019s author Hiro Miya\u00adgawa. In the film, the some\u00adwhat picky eater, Mr. Furuya, leads his entire class in rais\u00ading silk\u00adworms, trans\u00adform\u00ading the class\u2019s spir\u00adit and even impact\u00ading the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. I still remem\u00adber the most mov\u00ading scene in the film, where the chil\u00addren march in for\u00adma\u00adtion, pulling long strands of silk. It sym\u00adbol\u00adizes the con\u00adti\u00adnu\u00adity of life and the pro\u00adfound con\u00adnec\u00adtion between human\u00adi\u00adty and nature. I thought, if the silk\u00adworms kept spin\u00adning and there were enough peo\u00adple, they could prob\u00ada\u00adbly cir\u00adcle the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From anoth\u00ader per\u00adspec\u00adtive, \u201cXiao\u00adqing Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms\u201d can also be seen as a vivid demon\u00adstra\u00adtion of a \u201cser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture cur\u00adricu\u00adlum.\u201d When Xiao\u00adqing first pulled a long silk thread from a cocoon, her sur\u00adprise and joy drove her onward through the ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture exper\u00adi\u00adment. This is a jour\u00adney of obser\u00adva\u00adtion, par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion, explo\u00adration, frus\u00adtra\u00adtion, cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty, and reward. This sense of won\u00adder at nature, awe for life, and pride in the fruits of one\u2019s labor are the core val\u00adues of the cur\u00adricu\u00adlum. Through this in-depth expe\u00adri\u00adence, chil\u00addren can grasp the mean\u00ading of growth through per\u00adson\u00adal expe\u00adri\u00adence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture is a com\u00admon activ\u00adi\u00adty in Chi\u00adnese ele\u00admen\u00adtary schools, some\u00adtimes as part of sci\u00adence class\u00ades and some\u00adtimes as a life edu\u00adca\u00adtion cur\u00adricu\u00adlum. If the entire class col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adrates on ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture, it can also cul\u00adti\u00advate chil\u00addren\u2019s team\u00adwork skills. Ser\u00adi\u00adcul\u00adture typ\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly requires a divi\u00adsion of labor, includ\u00ading gath\u00ader\u00ading mul\u00adber\u00adry leaves, clean\u00ading the silk\u00adworm beds, and record\u00ading obser\u00adva\u00adtions. This col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtive expe\u00adri\u00adence fos\u00adters com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion skills and team\u00adwork. If teach\u00aders in schools can effec\u00adtive\u00adly uti\u00adlize pic\u00adture books like these, they can also help con\u00adnect chil\u00addren\u2019s minds with the wis\u00addom of life, growth, and cul\u00adture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is the real Silk\u00adworm God?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The accom\u00adpa\u00adny\u00ading illus\u00adtra\u00adtion, \u201cChi\u00adna, the Home\u00adtown of Silk,\u201d large\u00adly embod\u00adies the pic\u00adture book\u2019s orig\u00adi\u00adnal non\u00adfic\u00adtion\u00adal pur\u00adpose. Although Leizu, the wife of Huang\u00addi, has long been revered as the ortho\u00addox silk\u00adworm deity, she also pos\u00adsess\u00ades a rich\u00ader and more diverse range of rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtions in the folk. In a paper titled \u201cA Study of Ancient Silk\u00adworm Deities and Their Rit\u00adu\u00adals\u201d pub\u00adlished in the third issue of the 2015 jour\u00adnal Agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal Archae\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy, author Li Yujie metic\u00adu\u00adlous\u00adly exam\u00adines how the rep\u00adu\u00adta\u00adtion of Leizu as the first silk\u00adworm was ced\u00aded to oth\u00ader female fig\u00adures. Sim\u00adply put, it was sim\u00adply a mat\u00adter of facil\u00adi\u00adtat\u00ading roy\u00adal ven\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion and estab\u00adlish\u00ading legit\u00adi\u00adma\u00adcy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return\u00ading to \u201cXiao\u00adqing Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms,\u201d read\u00aders may be pleased to dis\u00adcov\u00ader that Leizu has, to some extent, tak\u00aden a back\u00adseat, becom\u00ading more of an inspi\u00adra\u00adtion and leader. The true \u201cheroes of silk\u00adworm rear\u00ading\u201d are girls like Xiao\u00adqing and her moth\u00aders. Leizu is a rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive fig\u00adure of ancient sages, and so are Xiao\u00adqing and her peers, though their names have not been record\u00aded in his\u00adto\u00adry books. For\u00adtu\u00adnate\u00adly, pic\u00adture books exist to retell their sto\u00adries. Xiao\u00adqing\u2019s sto\u00adry of growth sym\u00adbol\u00adizes the pro\u00adfound rela\u00adtion\u00adship between humans and silk\u00adworms, and show\u00adcas\u00ades the wis\u00addom and cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty of ancient work\u00ading peo\u00adple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the final, ele\u00adgant and beau\u00adti\u00adful end\u00adpa\u00adper, Xiao\u00adqing curls up in a warm flower, sym\u00adbol\u00adiz\u00ading not only her growth but also her deep con\u00adnec\u00adtion to silk and silk\u00adworms. The hem of her skirt resem\u00adbles a blos\u00adsom\u00ading flower, and the lay\u00aders of flow\u00aders echo the tex\u00adture of silk. This detail con\u00adveys a pro\u00adfound mean\u00ading: the birth of silk is not depen\u00addent on a sin\u00adgle myth\u00adi\u00adcal fig\u00adure, but on the patience, curios\u00adi\u00adty, and hard work of count\u00adless chil\u00addren like Xiao\u00adqing and their fam\u00adi\u00adlies, who have nur\u00adtured silk civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argen\u00adtine Primera Divisi\u00f3n writ\u00adten on Feb\u00adru\u00adary 4, 2025 in Guangzhou<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Review of the orig\u00adi\u00adnal pic\u00adture book \u201cXiao\u00adqing Rais\u00ading Silk\u00adworms\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,12],"tags":[8,5,10,6],"class_list":["post-600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review","category-ajia-review","tag-8","tag-5","tag-10","tag-6"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":604,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600\/revisions\/604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}