Sun Aiqun Explains in Detail the Cultural Characteristics of Chaozhou and its Global Food Circle

On March 19, Sun Aiqun, former deputy director of the Yangcheng Evening News Group and a special researcher at the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural History, delivered the 84th lecture in the General Education Lecture Series at Dongguan University of Technology. Titled "The Global Significance of Chaozhou Culture and Its Domestic and International Dissemination—Narrating Through the Heritage and Transmission of Lingnan Culture," Sun Aiqun, from the dual perspectives of a seasoned media professional and cultural scholar, delved into the five core characteristics of Chaozhou culture (also known as Chaozhou culture). Focusing on the cultural trait of "exquisite," he used intangible cultural heritage techniques and Chaoshan cuisine as entry points to reveal the transcendent charm of Chaozhou culture's cross-border dissemination, immersing the audience in the captivating allure of this Chinese cultural treasure.

"Exquisite" is the most distinctive hallmark of Chaoshan cultural character

Chaozhou culture is an important component of Lingnan culture and a significant branch of Chinese culture, characterized by distinct regional features and international prominence. Rooted in the local soil of Chaozhou, it holds considerable influence globally, particularly in Southeast Asia.  Sun Aiqun succinctly summarized the essence, status, and impact of Chaozhou culture. This dynamic cultural system emerged from the long-term integration of agrarian culture and maritime culture, as well as Central Plains culture and indigenous traditions. Its five defining traits—"elegance, exquisite, pioneering spirit, inclusiveness, and gratitude"—form the spiritual core of Chaozhou culture.

Sun Aiqun analyzed and commented on the five major traits by combining historical origins and real-life examples: The trait of "exquisite" stems from the influence of Confucian culture in the Central Plains, as seen in Han Yu's eight-month governance of Chaozhou, which initiated the "Zhoulu by the sea" civilization; the spirit of "pioneering" is rooted in the survival conditions of a land with abundant population but scarce resources, with the Chaozhou people's heroic "journey to the South Seas" creating the cultural phenomenon of "where there is tide, there are Chaozhou people"; the traits of "tolerance" and "gratitude" are deeply ingrained in the Chaozhou people's bloodline, vividly reflected in the solidarity of "clique-people," the millennium-long reverence for the Han Wengong Temple, and the home-and-country vigilance of the overseas Chinese remittance culture.

Among them, "delicacy" serves as the most distinctive hallmark of Chaozhou's cultural character and becomes the central focus of this lecture. Sun Aiqun uses the national-level intangible cultural heritage project of ceramic microcalligraphy as an example to elaborate on the pursuit of perfection in Chaozhou craftsmanship. Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts Wang Zhiwen's ceramic microcalligraphy work Tang Poems employs the "character-as-painting" technique, embedding over 30,000 characters from 305 Tang poems within a painted mountain landscape on a porcelain plate—achieving nearly 100 characters per square centimeter. The creator completed both writing and painting entirely with the naked eye, spending three months on the work, perfectly embodying the artistic realm of "microscopic details conceal vastness, porcelain glaze forge classics." This craft was also named one of the "Top Ten Most Popular Chinese Master Skills" by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Sun Aiqun points out that the meticulous and perfectionist cultural character of the Chaozhou people is thus evident, with "delicacy" representing the most distinctive feature of Chaozhou's cultural identity.

Chaozhou cuisine is a vibrant carrier of cultural dissemination both domestically and internationally

The "exquisite" characteristics of Chaozhou culture are more deeply reflected in its culinary culture. Sun Aiqun pointed out that the soul of Chaozhou cuisine lies in the principle of "never being tired of fine food and never being tired of fine dishes". The survival wisdom of Chaozhou people, who are abundant but scarce, has been transformed into the ultimate pursuit of ingredients, craftsmanship, and taste in the field of cuisine. Chaozhou cuisine has over 500 dishes, more than 400 types of breakfast, more than 300 types of snacks, and more than 100 types of sauces. The strict standard of "four no's" highlights the ultimate requirement for freshness, and its cooking techniques have been listed in the national intangible cultural heritage list. In October 2023, UNESCO officially awarded Chaozhou the title of "Capital of World Cuisine". And Chaozhou Gongfu Tea Art has already helped promote "Chinese traditional tea making techniques and related customs" to the level of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, making Chaozhou also known as the "hometown of world Gongfu tea culture".

Sun Aiqun emphasized that the global popularity of Chaozhou cuisine is not accidental, but rather due to the "exquisite" characteristics of Chaozhou culture. With the footprints of 15 million overseas Chinese of Chaozhou origin spread across five continents, Chaozhou restaurants have become cultural landmarks of overseas Chinese communities, and Chaozhou cuisine has become a vivid carrier of cultural dissemination at home and abroad. Behind the saying 'wherever there are Chinese people, there are Teochew restaurants' lies the nostalgic memories and cultural identity carried by exquisite culinary culture; The innovative practice of integrating local spicy and fragrant elements into Nanyang Chaozhou cuisine further confirms the inclusive and symbiotic character traits of Chaozhou culture.

Memorial Temple of Han Yu, memorial archway Street and Overseas Chinese Praise are the most vivid interpretations of Chaodi Thanksgiving Culture

When it comes to the cultural trait of "gratitude", Sun Aiqun said with deep emotion, telling the stories of benevolence, righteousness, filial piety, and gratitude is a thousand year cultural heritage of Chaozhou people, and the touching stories of loyalty, filial piety, and gratitude in Chaozhou have been passed down through the ages. He told three stories of gratitude in a row: the Hanwen Temple was built by Chaozhou people to commemorate the enlightenment and education of Han Yu, the founder of the Hundred Generation Wenzong, and to demonstrate virtuous governance; The "memorial archway Street" in the ancient city of Chaozhou is a monumental corridor that shows the family and country feelings of the ancient Chaozhou sages in the past dynasties, flashing the values of the Chaozhou people advocating traditional virtues and the feelings of loyalty, filial piety and gratitude; Overseas Chinese postal order is the torch of gratitude culture passed down by the Chaozhou people. Overseas wanderers are grateful for their homeland, the mulberry trees that gave birth to and raised them. They express their gratitude to their ancestors, give back to their hometown, and share their blood, family, and national righteousness in letters, collections, and peace parcels that cross mountains and seas.

When talking about the famous memorial archway Street in the ancient city of Chaozhou at home and abroad, Sun Aiqun displayed many precious historical pictures, including the group photo of Yang Zhenning and Weng Fan (a Chaozhou scholar and an alumnus of Chaozhou Jinshan Middle School) in memorial archway Street, which related to the story of Yang Zhenning and Weng Fan's "relationship between Chaozhou" and "relationship between sheep and evening". It is a rare coincidence that Yang Zhenning and Weng Fan have also formed a deep emotional bond with Dongguan University of Technology.

The cultural treasures such as cuisine, craftsmanship, unique skills, folk customs, and historical sites are the foundation of Chaozhou's ancient city's application for World Heritage status

With the development of the times, the character traits, ideological concepts, and humanistic spirit contained in Chaozhou culture have increasingly demonstrated its global value and significance. Sun Aiqun combines the historical background of Chaozhou Ancient City's application for World Cultural Heritage to deeply interpret the world significance of Chaozhou culture and Chaozhou Ancient City. He mentioned that the work report of the Guangdong Provincial Government has clearly stated the theme of "promoting the application of Chaozhou Ancient City for World Cultural Heritage", and Chaozhou City has also introduced 28 measures to assist in the application. Cultural treasures such as cuisine, craftsmanship, unique skills, folk customs, and historical sites are the confidence of Chaozhou Ancient City's application for World Heritage.

As the first editor in chief of the "Cloud Lingnan" Cultural Expo International Communication Integration Platform (PEARL), a key platform project of "Chinese Culture Going Global", Sun Aiqun shared the international communication practices of Lingnan culture and Chaozhou culture of Yangcheng Evening News Media Group: by creating an international multilingual communication matrix, cultural international communication brands, implementing the Global Youth Director Support Program, etc., Chaozhou cuisine, Gongfu tea, English songs and dances, ancient city walls, Guangji Tower, Guangji Bridge, Chaozhou opera, Chaozhou music, Chaozhou porcelain, Chaozhou carving, Chaozhou embroidery, Chaozhou gongs and drums, overseas Chinese culture, etc. have gone global, achieving the dissemination effect of "cultural people, resonance and empathy".

Message to young students to inherit and spread excellent traditional Chinese culture

Sun Aiqun has served successively in the Southern Newspaper Media Group (Southern Daily) and Yangcheng Evening News Group (Yangcheng Evening News). He is a leading talent in propaganda, ideology, and culture in Guangdong Province, serving as a judge for the 11th Yangtze River Taofen Award at the 20th China News Awards and a reviewer for the 31st, 33rd (invited), 34th, and 35th China News Awards. He is a media professional with profound knowledge and education.

This lecture is another cultural dissemination speech, following the "Decoding Chaozhou Culture and Chaozhou Ancient City" lecture at the Zhongshan Lecture Hall of Guangdong Provincial Sun Yat sen Library (with 11000 online viewers and over 30 media outlets including People's Daily, People's Daily Online, China News Network, Global Times Global Network, and Star Island Global Network broadcasting globally, receiving a warm response). 489 people attended the lecture in person and 893 people listened online.

Sun Aiqun expressed that he is delighted to have so many young students attending this cultural feast together. The vitality of Chaozhou culture lies in its inheritance and innovation, dissemination and promotion, and hopes are placed on generation after generation of young students. Young students not only need to understand its core characteristics and spiritual connotations such as "exquisite," "exploration," and "gratitude," but also need to become messengers of cross-cultural communication.

On site teachers and students expressed that the lecture focused on outstanding figures, cuisine, craftsmanship, skills, cultural relics, and historical sites, making abstract cultural traits tangible and understandable. Not only did they appreciate the charming charm and profound heritage of Chaozhou culture, but they also gained a deeper understanding of the contemporary significance of China's excellent traditional culture "going global".

It is reported that the General Education Lecture Hall of Dongguan University of Technology has always aimed to spread excellent traditional Chinese culture and expand students' cultural horizons. This lecture focuses on the characteristics and inheritance of Chaozhou culture, injecting strong Lingnan cultural charm into campus cultural construction and promoting young students' recognition and identification with regional culture.

Author | ChenLiang

Photography | Dongguan University of Technology General Education Center