What is Chaoshan?

Gourmet Food

This is a place your tongue knows better than your brain

Beef hot pot, raw marinated, Gongfu tea

……

Before the geographical concept of "Chaoshan" was known to people

However, after satisfying the "appetite"

How much do you know about Chaoshan?

At the southern tip of China, the easternmost part of Guangdong

Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang

It constitutes what people usually call "Chaoshan"

A group of low-key wealthy businessmen came out of here

The myth of wealth transcends time and continues to this day

The wanderers from here recreate a "Chaozhou" overseas

13 million overseas hipsters, 2 million hipsters from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

Across time and space, tenaciously preserving cultural traditions

A lasting resonance with the homeland

When we lament that thousands of cities are the same

I found that Chaoshan people don’t seem to care about what the outside world thinks.

Worship gods, ancestors and speak Chao dialect

Drinking tea, watching plays, weddings and funerals, forming a unique style

Located in the corner of mountains and sea

People in a foreign country

Thinking of the Ancestors

Fresh and unique

Why is Chaoshan so special?

A world of its own

You can hardly see Chaoshan in history books.

China's political center has long been located in the north

Chaoshan is far away from the emperor, and the vast ocean is to the south

Therefore, the struggle for supremacy has nothing to do with it, and the change of dynasties is too far away for it.

And then the next level

Chaoshan is equally remote compared to the provincial capital Guangzhou.

Guangdong is unique among the southeastern coastal provinces in that it is long and narrow.

Chaoshan is the easternmost part of Guangdong

More than 400 kilometers away from Guangzhou

Approximately equivalent to Beijing to Hohhot

What makes this distance seem even more remote is the Lotus Mountain Range.

It starts from the mountainous area in eastern Guangdong in the north

Cutting diagonally to the southwest, extending to the coast

Create mountains over 1,000 meters high

This long and tall diagonal line

Become a barrier separating Chaoshan and the Pearl River Delta

The closed geographical pattern of Chaoshan

The End of the End

The Edge of the Edge

Under the overlap of double edges

Chaoshan has its own world

Between the Mountains

Hanjiang River, Rongjiang River, Lianjiang River

The three rivers each created an alluvial plain

Collectively known as the "Chaoshan Plain"

Leave room for the birth of civilization here

The Tropic of Cancer passes through Chaoshan

More than half of the area here is located south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Rain and heat occur at the same time, with sufficient heat

The monsoon brings abundant rainfall to the southeast of the Lotus Mountains.

thus

Chaoshan's background color is highly saturated

There is greenery all year round here

The trees are green and moist all year round.

Clear sea blue

The coastline is long and winding.

The tides circulate here

Extreme orange red

Popular flowers and trees for trendy people

When the flowers bloom, they will never restrain

Kapok, huge and deep red

Against the colorful background, everything is alive and kicking

Marine life swims freely in the vast ocean

In ancient China, the southeastern coast was originally civilized later.

Chaoshan is located at the provincial border, especially at the edge.

Aboriginal people may be singing in the mountains

Women wearing brightly embroidered clothing

Or start making boats and make a living by fishing

The imperial court occasionally cast a glance at Chaoshan, but only briefly.

In 591 AD, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty named this place "Chaozhou" after the "reciprocating tides".

The name "Chaozhou" has a history of more than 1,000 years.

For a long time, "Chaozhou" has always been

This is what we now call the Chaoshan area.

But naming is just naming.

Chaozhou is still considered a barbarian land in the eyes of the Central Plains.

The poet Han Yu more than 200 years later

When I knew I was going to be exiled to Chaozhou, I was determined to die.

(In 819 AD, Han Yu was demoted to Chaozhou for speaking out and admonishing others. On the way, he wrote "Left to Languan to Show My Nephew Sun Xiang")

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A letter was submitted to the emperor in the morning, and he was demoted to Chaoyang, eight thousand miles away in the evening.

If you want to eliminate the evils for the wise emperor, you are willing to cherish your remaining years!

Where is my home with clouds across the Qinling Mountains? The snow blocked the Blue Pass and the horses could not move forward.

I know you have come from afar with a purpose, so please collect my bones from the poisonous river.

Arriving in Chaozhou

Han Yu may have enjoyed the earliest raw pickled

He saw a table full of strange-shaped, half-cooked seafood.

I just felt the stench and was sweating profusely.

At that time, crocodiles were rampant in the river.

Han Yu led his men to throw pigs and sheep into the river

Write "Crocodile Article" to persuade crocodiles to leave

In just eight months in Chaozhou

Although Han Yu failed to bring about fundamental changes

But he established state schools, liberated slaves, and encouraged people to farm and sericulture.

The image of a diligent and tolerant scholar

The Central Plains civilization left an excellent impression on Chaozhou

This is the prelude of Central Plains music played in Chaozhou

But this remote and colorful seaside land

Still waiting for someone to actually settle here

Remaking the World

Wars in the Central Plains led to the migration of the Han people to the south

To avoid the war in the north, they moved further south.

From Central Plains to Jiangnan, from Jiangnan to Fujian

Because the land is narrow and the population is dense, we cross the river again and again.

Fujian immigrants eventually settled in Chaoshan

The Civilization Process of Chaozhou

The Song Dynasty as a watershed

The development came quickly, completely and comprehensively.

It almost completely shapes the appearance of this place.

Similar to most areas of civilization

Dam construction, plain reclamation, post road construction

Industrial boom

Adapting to local conditions, Chaozhou people boiled seawater for salt

The scene of "morning smoke from thousands of stoves boiling white snow" appeared along the coast

Business is booming

Merchant ships are loaded with ceramics from Bijia Mountain on the east bank of the Han River

Bijia Mountain is rich in kaolin, the raw material for ceramics.

As a result, there are many kiln factories at the foot of the mountain, which is known as the "Village of 100 Kilns".

Millions of porcelains are produced each year and exported to Japan and Southeast Asia.

The ancient city is prosperous...

The beautiful Chaozhou city was built on the banks of the Han River

This is the political, economic and cultural center of Chaoshan for thousands of years.

Students are admitted

They can be ranked among the nobles, and the best among them

You can also erect a memorial archway on the main street of the city.

The 1.6-kilometer-long Fucheng Street had 43 memorial archways at its peak.

On average, there is a memorial archway every 35 meters.

People live in clans

The building is closed to the outside and open to the inside

Forming a group of buildings

Clans stick together and gain a sense of security in such a space

When immigrants from afar

After transforming this wild place into a livable land

Deep in my heart, memories of my homeland and migration are evoked

The further away from home, the more I miss my hometown.

The more you travel, the more you realize the value of family power

Ancestors of Chaoshan people

In this new home

Start a grand and long-lasting nostalgia for the ancestors

Immigrants who settled in Chaoshan since the Song Dynasty

Most of them came from Fujian, and they were the ethnic group that settled down after the Central Plains immigrants moved south.

The Fujian immigrants wrote on the door plaque:

"Yingchuan Branch" (Chen surname, originated from present-day Henan)

"Lanling nobles" (Xiao surname, originated from present-day Shandong)

"Xihe Branch" (Lin surname, originated from present-day Henan)

Show that they are not natives, but a family from the Central Plains

When they immigrated to Chaoshan

The couplets in the ancestral hall would have words like

"Putian family reputation is far-reaching, Longxi family tradition is long-lasting"

Tracing the family's history from the Central Plains to Fujian

The saying "Chaoshan people are the ancestors of Fujian"

Still passed down from generation to generation

Immigrants proudly preserve their own language

Ancient Chinese from the Central Plains is layered on top of the Chaoshan dialect.

Chaoshan dialect is therefore called the "living fossil of ancient Chinese"

The etiquette of life is also quite ancient

When boys and girls are fifteen years old

Wear red clothes and red clogs

Farewell to the guardian deity at the foot of the bed - the in-laws

Remove the hair on your face

Symbolizes growing up

Play God

The Chaoshan ethnic group was born out of turmoil and migration.

Perhaps because he has seen through the changes of dynasties and the uncertainties of the times

They believe more in the power of family and inner faith.

The passionate and heroic Yingge dance

Often takes the lead in the procession

The movements are wide and open, and the lead dancer holds a little dragon in his hand.

Or it may be derived from the remains of the Nuo culture of the pre-Qin period.

The worship of snakes in the ancient Minyue culture

Mazu, the sea goddess from Putian, Fujian

It has become the spiritual sustenance of Chaoshan people when they go out to sea

Respected as "Queen of Heaven" and "Concubine of Heaven"

Local belief in the "Three Mountain Kings"

It comes from the legend of three mountains taking on human form.

Or it may have originated from the worship of mountain gods before the Central Plains people entered

The divine world is a reflection of the human world

Gods from different periods and regions coexist harmoniously in Chaoshan

Create a colorful world of gods that is highly integrated with the secular world

They each have their own duties and come from different time and space

A sky full of gods and ancestors

Reflecting the bustling world of Chaoshan

Wang Shixing, a geographer in the Ming Dynasty, sighed after visiting this place:

Chaozhou is so prosperous now, but it is different from the past

(Wang Shixing, "Guangzhi Yi, Volume 4, The Provinces in the South")

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"Today's tide is different from the past, the streets are prosperous,

The men and women are prosperous, with furs, horses, and musical instruments, no less than those of the superior kingdoms. ”

But under the blooming flowers

The troubles of the prosperous times are showing their claws

Survival

Ming Dynasty

The maritime ban policy was implemented during the Ming and Qing dynasties and lasted for hundreds of years.

Directly hit the livelihoods of the people living in the coastal areas of Chaoshan

Compared with the closed isolation from the Central Plains inland

Chaoshan opens itself to the sea

It is located at the intersection of the east-west route

Directly east to Japan and North Korea

To the west, you can sail to the South Seas

A large number of people make their living from the sea

Land bans cannot stop the ocean's waves

Chaoshan, which is used to finding its own way out, is even more unwilling to accept its fate.

Moreover, the stricter the maritime ban, the higher the profits.

(Longqing, Chaoyang County Chronicles, Volume 2, County Affairs Records)

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“The people of Teochew publicly repaired the great ship,

Set sail, return with a full load, with treasures overflowing the streets"

Therefore, in different groups and at different stages

Chaoshan people interact closely and intensely with the ocean

A thrilling legend of suffering and wealth

There are thieves who go to sea to make a living

Japanese pirates attacked the southeast coast during the Ming Dynasty

Chaozhou Prefecture is the eastern gate of Guangdong and was deeply affected.

The maritime ban policy caused some low-income people in coastal areas to lose their livelihoods.

Some refugees went to sea to become bandits

Or collude with the Japanese pirates, or associate with the bandits

Chaozhou Prefecture became Guangdong's "den of thieves"

Nan'ao Island is only 10 kilometers away from the Chaoshan coast.

It is located at the strategic point of Fujian and Guangdong, and is an important node for coastal shipping.

The geographical location is extremely important, isolated overseas

It has become a pirate's paradise and a smuggler's paradise.

There are profit-seeking sea merchants

The official market is closed, but the private market continues

The maritime ban policy was sometimes loose and sometimes strict

Businessmen find gaps in the rules

Occasionally, armed confrontations occurred with the government

Zhanglin Port, located at the confluence of the Han River and the sea, is rising

At its peak, it had more than 100 ocean-going fleets.

The red, white, green and blue boats of each province complement each other

The red-headed boat representing Guangdong is particularly eye-catching.

The Chaozhou business community thus entered the historical stage and spread across the north and south.

There are oppressed civilians

The looting of Japanese pirates along the coast

The people were forced to build forts for self-defense and live in clans.

Large and small "village" appeared in Chaoshan villages

So-called

"Every village has its own stronghold, with high walls and thick fences, everywhere."

Civilians can be forced to become bandits

Pirates can make money doing business

Merchants are armed with pirates

The three identities are mixed and unclear, and constantly changing.

Stirring up the Chaoshan coast

In the late Qing Dynasty

The long-standing practice of building strongholds for self-protection has put local governance in a difficult position

There are constant conflicts between clans, and Chaozhou is known as the "hometown of armed fights"

People at that time commented that "Chaozhou customs are the worst among Cantonese people"

In 1812, the population of Chaozhou Prefecture was 2.21 million

Nearly four times as much as a century and a half ago

The population boom has exposed long-standing constraints on the land:

There is too little arable land

No land to cultivate, no jobs to do

Natural disasters, human disasters, survival of the fittest

There was no other choice but to go to Siam (now Thailand)

More lower-class Chaoshan people are being pushed further into the ocean

Chaoshan people began to "go abroad"

Known in history as "Going to Southeast Asia"

Southeast Asia and America, which are developing at the moment, need labor

A large number of Chaoshan people were sold overseas as "piglets"

Or they are forced to take the initiative to make a living

Or being seduced, blackmailed, kidnapped

Set foot on foreign land

Population and land

Refugees and the Rich

Crisis and Turnaround

Under many contradictions

Chaoshan and the ocean form a strong tension

Stimulating the clan ties of huddling together for warmth under the ban

It also made the people of this land determined to cross the ocean

The ocean makes this small world unstable

Chaoshan is undergoing tremendous changes, and the people of Chaoshan are working hard

A bigger "Chaoshan"

But it will be formed through the ocean

Hometown and Foreign Land

China was isolated from the outside world for a century

Still can't lock the huge waves from the sea

In 1856, the British and French forces launched the Second Opium War

The Qing government was defeated and signed an unequal treaty

Chaozhou (Shantou), Qiongzhou, Taiwan

10 places became foreign trade ports

Shantou, a land of sand ridges

Located at the mouth of Hanjiang River, Rongjiang River and Lianjiang River

It replaced the increasingly silted Zhanglin Port

It also took on the mission of being the economic center of Chaozhou City.

Chaoshan

Finally embrace the ocean completely

On January 1, 1860, Shantou opened its trade with the United States as scheduled

The "Chao Customs" was established on Mayu Island in Shantou Port

At this point, Shantou was officially opened as a port

1906

Chaoshan Railway completed and opened to traffic

Connecting the trading port of Shantou and Chaozhou

This is China's first commercial railway

The name "Chaoshan" is accompanied by 42 kilometers of railway

Since then, it has been widely used among the people

A century-old commercial port with a glorious past

1933

Shantou Port’s cargo throughput accounts for 8.76% of the country’s coastal ports’ cargo throughput

It ranks third in the country after Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Become an international seaport on China's southeast coast

Merchant ships travel between Shantou, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore

The international trade circle of Shantou, Hong Kong, Siam and Ribeye was formed

The Chaozhou business community

The Chaozhou business community was built on geographical and blood ties

A well-connected and strong network

Rapidly build a trade network

Even though the British have significant political and capital advantages in Hong Kong

Can't intervene

The wealth that Chaoshan merchants quickly accumulated abroad

Externalized into the exquisite residential buildings, ancestral halls and temples in my hometown

Chen Cihong (hóng), a leader among the northern and southern merchants

The business is spread all over Southeast Asia, and the wealth is in Southeast Asia

Chaoshan proverb: "No one is richer than a benefactor"

The construction of Chen Cihong's former residence took nearly half a century

Covering an area of 25,400 square meters, with 506 rooms

Exquisite and gorgeous, blending Chinese and Western styles

Known as "the first overseas Chinese residence in Lingnan"

As if there is only the ultimate luxury and magnificence

Only then can we soothe the hardships of surviving in the raging sea

Overseas Chinese tycoons return home in glory

Jianxi often spared no money

Even invited two groups of craftsmen to "compete in art"‍

Therefore, the craftsmen also "involve" to the extreme

Wood carving needs multiple levels of hollowing out

Intricately carved gold

Stone carvings should be exquisite and transparent

Lifelike

The roof should also be full of flowers

Competition of beauty

Chaoshan architecture is a review of Chaozhou craftsmen

The Chaozhou craftsmen

The products of mountains and seas, opera art, and Nanyang customs

Integrated into Chaoshan architecture

Reach the pinnacle, the ultimate in excellence

Delivering a fashionable and extremely sophisticated aesthetic

Chaoshan people call people who go to Southeast Asia to make a living "Fanke"

For most ordinary customers

Maybe you can't afford to spend a fortune on a mansion.

But no matter what, I have to send money in the letter I send home.

This is the "Qiaopi"

1934 was the peak period of the development of the overseas Chinese remittance industry

On average, more than 180,000 overseas Chinese letters are sent back from Southeast Asia every month.

Villages in Chaoshan that rely on overseas remittances for survival

Countless families are eagerly waiting for this

The "pijiao" that specializes in delivering overseas remittances brings peace and money

While Chaozhou overseas Chinese are giving back to their hometown

Also building a trendsetting society overseas

They went into business and politics and became overseas Chinese leaders.

Taking root in Southeast Asia

The Teochew Associations have formed a huge network of overseas Teochew people

Standing at the Shantou Port at that time

You may see

The young man is about to cross the border with his bag

The foreign tourists got off the ship and returned home in glory

The postman was preparing to deliver the overseas remittances from Nanyang

Busy air routes

Emerging cities

The bustling pier

A bigger "Chaoshan" is finally formed

Looking Back

Chaoshan

Civilized by immigration in turmoil

It was also formed by the wanderers who traveled far away from home.

Chaoshan has experienced a long period of wilderness

No one cares, it grows freely

Chaoshan was once at the forefront of reform

Standing at the forefront, full of joy

But the historical stage has its own generals and ministers.

Prosperity is often like a passing cloud

Besides, people are always on the move.

Since 1991

Shantou, Jieyang and Chaozhou

It has been "separated" for more than 30 years

Chaoshan people

A new round of departure has already begun