Birdsong porcelain sounds a revival call

A specially crafted porcelain vessel presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast a spotlight on Liling, a city in Central China's Hunan province. Renowned for its centuries-old ceramics industry, the city is experiencing a renaissance through modern design and growing global engagement.

During Putin's recent visit to Beijing, he reunited with Peng Pai, a civil engineer from Hunan, in a heartwarming encounter. Twenty-six years ago, during Putin's first official visit to China as Russian president, he met the then 12-year-old Peng and his family at Beijing's Beihai Park, a moment captured in a memorable photograph.

At their reunion at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on May 21, Peng presented Putin with a porcelain wine set from Liling. Its centerpiece was a wine pot with an unusual feature: it chirps like a bird when poured.

The pot is elegantly decorated with red plum blossoms and bamboo on a pale blue-white glaze. A small ceramic magpie perches atop the handle. In Chinese culture, the magpie and plum blossoms symbolize the arrival of good news. When the pot is tilted, it emits a gentle yet distinct chirping sound, bringing the tiny bird to life.

Remarkably, the sound is not produced by any mechanical device, but only by air pressure, explains Xiao Diqiang, head of the public research and development department at the Liling Ceramic Research and Development Center. The secret lies within the pot: hidden beneath the magpie is a small ceramic whistle. As liquid pours from the vessel, shifting water levels compress air inside the pot, forcing it through the whistle and creating the birdlike call.

"The principle is simple," Xiao says. "It works much like human whistling." Whether filled with wine, tea, hot or cold water, the sound remains unchanged. Instead, its tone and duration depend on the speed of the pour and the craftsmanship behind each piece.

"In theory, every pot has its own voice — though the differences may be too subtle for most people to notice," Xiao adds.

The pot was originally produced in the early 1970s, a period of transformation for Liling's ceramics industry. It was part of a limited batch of hand-painted works made primarily for state guesthouses and diplomatic gifts.