The Folk Customs of Shajing Oyster Farming

In the northernmost part of Shenzhen, in Bao’an District, is the Shajing (literally translated to sand-ditch) Residential District: a secluded area of sixty square kilometers bordered to the west by the Pearl River Estuary. A hidden gem of Shenzhen, Shajing is the birthplace of the Shajing Oyster, Shenzhen’s prized specialty.

Shajing's oysters are renowned for their tender succulent flesh and their superb aroma, which earned them the title “Milk of the Sea”. Yet much of their value lies in the process and history behind their production, comprising customs and techniques dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). At this time, locals began to plant shafts into the ocean to raise oysters, marking the first instance of artificially raised oysters in the world. From then until recently, Shajing Oyster sites were scattered among the Shajing, Fuyong, Yantian, Qianhai and Houhai regions, as well as the surrounds of the Lau Fau Shan area in Hong Kong which directly faces the mainland.

Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Shajing Industry continued to develop. After what is called the Liberation—the end of the Chinese Revolution— , the Shajing Oyster brand was established, and in 1956 proclaimed by the government as an exemplary cooperative, and later in 1957 as a model cooperative of the nation. Shortly, due to increasing demand for oysters, the industry saw a period of mass expansion, and was soon supplying oysters all over the nation as well as exporting to Russia, Japan and Vietnam among many other countries. Experts of the agricultural field flew in from all over the world to study and examine the the oyster farmers’ methodology in an attempt to mimic their success.

Yet with the start of China’s industrialization and urbanization in 1979, much of the water in the area became polluted and crop after crop of oysters died. At the time, it appeared as the thousand year tradition was coming to the end.

The Shajing Oyster however, wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Through nearly a millennia of oyster growing, the people of Shajing had embraced it as their way of life. Aside from the industry’s clear importance to the local economy, it had also become deeply imbedded in local culture, seen in oyster dishes, the use of oyster shells in architecture and even the naming of streets, shops and villages after the hao (oyster), or the sha (sand) in which they live. Hence, local farmers began reestablishing their bases in the cleaner waters of Yangjiang, Taishan, and Huidong to keep the trade alive. Due to their efforts, the Shajing Oyster brand was revived in the nineties, albeit in a different place.

Deservingly, through centuries of expertise and plight, Shajing Oyster farming has ripened into an agricultural craft. On a superficial level, the process comprises hatching the oysters, then distributing them on either bamboo rafts or stone poles to mature. During the growing season, the oysters are often shaken to chip the edges of their shells to promote growth in girth rather than length. Periodically, the oysters are detached from their spots then relocated to continue growing. At the end of the growth period, those that have reached a satisfactory size are once more relocated, to less saline waters, for refining. It is during this process that they develop their signature aroma and texture.

Beyond functional expertise, the production of Shajing Oysters is intertwined with Southern Chinese coastal regions’ customs and religion. At symbolic intervals during each season, prayers are offered to the locals’ traditional deities, among which are Mazu (Spirit Mother), the patron goddess believed to protect seafarers, and Guanyin (One who perceives the world’s cries), the buddhist deity of grace and

mercy. During the most crucial period, that of oyster collection, intricate celebrations are held to ensure bountiful harvest. Today, although the oyster business has been moved elsewhere, the Shajing Oyster brand retains its name, and the maritime culture of the Shajing district lives on through annual oyster festivals held by the government and celebrated by locals and tourists alike.

Comprising time-honored expertise and sophisticated folk customs matured through centuries of practice, the Shajing Oyster is indisputably of great cultural and social value.

This piece is a translated work, translated from Chinese to English as part of the Shenzhen Nonmaterial Heritage Project of Shenzhen Polytechnic University and Shenzhen Museum.

Classification: Municipal Level Folk Customs.

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