Since July, various towns and sub-districts in Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu province, have been hosting the "Children's Voices Echoing China" campaign, engaging thousands of young participants.

"Children's Voices Echoing China" is a creative initiative launched by cultural workers in Tongzhou back in 2006 to promote new children's songs.

"The first children's song collection activity took place in 2006," recalled Zhang Feng, deputy director of the Children's Voices base. "During school surveys that year, we noticed that children were singing outdated nursery rhymes and adult songs. There was a lack of new children's songs that were in tune with both children's development and the times. Hence, we issued a nationwide call to create and promote new nursery rhymes," said Zhang.

The first "Children's Voices Echoing China" new nursery rhyme collection activity was held in Tongzhou, attracting 12,300 submissions from across the country within just a few months via email, letters, and more. Following the evaluations, a selection of 100 nursery rhymes was compiled into a high-quality collection and released in Beijing.

Over the past 18 years, 11 children's song creation and sharing events have been held, drawing participation from over 7,000 primary and secondary schools both within and outside Jiangsu province. The cumulative number of nursery rhyme submissions has reached an impressive 530,000.

The Children's Voices base has not only organized nursery rhyme collections and singing activities but has also introduced several contemporary and uplifting works in various forms, including musicals and films, reflecting the innocence and positivity of childhood.

In recent years, "Children's Voices Echoing China" has become a symbol of Nantong's culture and has been recognized by the Publicity Department of Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPC as a distinguished brand in promoting the moral and ethical development of minors.

This initiative has not only enriched the cultural landscape of Tongzhou but has also resonated with children and communities, fostering creativity, positivity, and a sense of cultural identity among young generations.

The children actively participate in singing performances.[Photo/Nantong Daily]