Life of Guangzhou - Web Chat: Lively and Practical Guangdong Culture

Speakers:

Chen Zhaowen – Art director of a Guangzhou-based cultural communication company. Having graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, he has designed many Canton-themed gifts and has been promoting Cantonese culture for years.

He regards, "A culture should be kept alive through passing and understood by the masses, not contained in a jar."

"Guangzhou is a tolerant city, for common people and practicality, not for aristocracy. It has even been known to change some elites to common people."

Nicolas Perocheau - Attaché de Presse et de communication of the French Consulate General in Guangzhou.

He thinks, "The core of any culture is developing and changing with time, being alive. Cantonese people cherish long-standing culture and revolution, tolerance, and innovation. "

Representations and ingredients

Anchor: What are foreigners' impressions about Ling-nan (Guangdong) Culture?

Nicolas Perocheau: A long time ago the western world communicated and did business with Guangdongers and has left a substantial impression. The Chinese culture found in many other countries is actually Ling-nan Culture.

An ancient painting of a trading dock in Shisanhang in western Guangzhou during China's Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911).

Anchor: Guangdong dialects were spoken in most China towns overseas before the western world knew about China through Guangdongers.

Nicolas Perocheau: Guangdong cuisine also prevails in most China towns now.

I think Canton's culture is made up of three parts – derivation from overseas, local heritage, and modern culture through reform.

Chen Zhaowen: For thousands of years, Ling-nan culture has been absorbing the elements from North China as well as foreign ingredients, thanks to its coastal openness. Before mid 17th century, Ling-nan culture still imitated its developed Central China counterparts. Afterwards it consciously integrated the latter with its own, and developed into its maturity.

Chen Zhaowen: Guangdong Culture is well-connected with business. The province was the starting point of China's marine Silk Road and hot land and the only port for foreign trade, especially from the 17th century. In the 1980s Guangdong was also designated as the upfront 'testing field' of the country's reform and opening practice.

Some icons were set up, such as the revolutions of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Mr. Kang Youwei, and the famous Ling-nan Painting School.

Anchor: What do you think are the representations of Ling-nan culture?

Nicolas Perocheau: To me, it should be the nice and various food. Guangdongers not only eat their fill, but also crave quite a few interesting culinary ways, such as the diversified cuisine of chicken. You can't find this in many other places.

Seasoned chicken.

Locals' Personality and Language

Anchor: Can we say Guangdongers are more practical, with a lack of emphasis on the romance.

Nicolas Perocheau: Generally speaking, Guangdongers' character is more subtle and their practice is more exquisite.

Chen Zhaowen: Guangdong culture is well connected with locals' personalities and is secular and ocean-bound open, thanks to its long coast line. The culture also reaches beyond Guangdong to neighboring Guangxi and Hainan provinces and even to the north of Vietnam.

As the five ridges in northern Guangdong prevented the connection between Guangdong and northern provinces, little of central China's culture has spread its influence here. Guangdong culture has developed on its own. For instance, Cantonese is of a different system than mandarin, with the dialect still having its strong hold in Guangzhou despite the painstaking promotion of mandarin.

There are many fascinating things in Cantonese language.

Anchor: There are many ancient tones in Cantonese. The language situation might be helped by local media strength, including the impact from Hong Kong media. The Beijing-based CCTV's shows attract much smaller audience here than in the north provinces on Guangdong.

Chen Zhaowen: Languages should be kept, as cultural diversity is needed. Now Cantonese is not allowed at classes in many schools in Guangzhou, I don't think that is good.

Nicolas Perocheau: To protect a certain culture, there needs to be an atmosphere that will not exist if there isn't this language.

The two speakers and the anchor (R.) discuss during the web chat at Lifeofguangzhou's studio.

Folkways and Life Style

Chen Zhaowen: The culture of many different cities seems to be homogeneous nowadays.

Nicolas Perocheau: It is true on the surface, as to the physical buildings, but you can find various life style and folkways.

Anchor: In traditional Qixi Festival, we Cantonese make some dolls, the heritage is well kept. The Flower Market for Spring Festival in Guangzhou is another good example.

A Chinese girl holds her nice buy of flower at a Spring-Festival flower market in Guangzhou.

The Spring-Festival flower market in Tianhe, Guangzhou.

Chen Zhaowen: Guangdongers tend to be more superstitious and pray more than northerners. They also feel less safe, due to the unstable sea near them.

Anchor: Do you like to drink tea in Guangzhou, Nicolas?

Nicolas Perocheau: Yes. I go for tea when I have time, I like jasmine tea, and reading the newspaper and magazines and drinking tea. Seasoned 'phoenix' (chicken) claw is my favorite.

A Cantonese old man has morning tea and dim-sums at the celebrated Panxi restaurant in Guangzhou.

Anchor: You know a lot! 'Phoenix' claw is one of the two classical Cantonese dim-sums. Taotao Ju Restaurant is famous for that. Lu Xun, China's celebrated writer, often drank tea there as the restaurant served the tea with nice water from Nine Dragon Spring in Baiyun Mountain. Chinese are fond of the dragon as it is regarded as very auspicious.

Chen Zhaowen: The Dragon in China is not only one creature, but a goodwill symbolic mixture of many things.

Nicolas Perocheau: It is made up of several creatures.

Development and Inheriting

Anchor: Do you think if we should have a physical vehicle for this culture? To help it to be passed on?

Nicolas Perocheau: I don't think there should be a vehicle as culture evolves constantly with life.

Chen Zhaowen: Protection, nurturing and promotion are needed, but not for it to be wrapped up. Many cultural events and folk ways in Guangzhou can be dated back hundreds and even thousands of years. But most of them are limited to certain villages and districts, such Polo Birth Gala.

The Dragon Boat Race organized by the city government is very good. But it is a pity that such a resource is under-utilized, in that the public just converge and watch, and then it is all over. Maybe we could integrate the race with other activities, and have it be a part of a bigger festival.

The annual Dragon Boats Race in downtown section of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, celebrating the Chinese traditional Duanwu Festival.

Nicolas Perocheau: In culture development, innovation is very important, to make it local and confident when involving the incoming elements.

Anchor: Could you summarize your perspective of Ling-nan culture?

Chen Zhaowen: Guangdongers show initiative and are blazing the way towards success.

Nicolas Perocheau: I appreciate the potential for Cantonese and Guangdonger cultures to adapt and evolve. Guangzhou is changing very fast because of its strong tolerance and reflection.

(By Ronald Li)

Please click here to watch the web-chat video and read the full content in Chinese.

Cantonese Souvenir Shop, 'Guangzhou Impressions & Memory'