A taste of Chaoshan culture with Edcia

Videos and photos by Chen Xiaochun except otherwise stated.

Edcia Alejandra Alcocer Carpio from Bolivia felt like having run a marathon after trying to catch up with the Yingge Dance performance, a national folk art of intangible cultural heritage that is popular in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong Province, on the morning of Jan. 23, the second day of the first lunar month. 

Edcia Alejandra Alcocer Carpio dances together with performers. 

Alcocer Carpio visited her friend Jane in Puning, a county-level city in Chaoshan area during the Spring Festival. During her visit, she watched a Yingge Dance performance and Chaoshan Opera, visited traditional Chaoshan houses and tasted mouth-watering Chaoshan delicacies. 

Alcocer Carpio poses for photos with performers.

Yingge Dance, also known as Hero’s Song, was her favorite. Based on the heroic stories from the novel “The Water Margin,” the dance integrates drama, dance and martial arts, with a large-scale group dance as its main performance. Dancers, each holding short sticks, jump up and down, incorporating powerful movements and strong rhythms.

Yingge Dance at a road intersection in Liusha, Puning.

Yingge Dance performance in Liusha, Puning. Edcia Alejandra Alcocer Carpioa 

“I watched the dance of the 108 faces (heroes) live, what a privilege! It’s a combination of opera, dance and modern arts. We had the best run of our lives. We have to run up and down the streets. I have no idea where we were, but we ran behind the dancers, trying to catch up with them. It was a special moment and I feel so grateful for this experience,” she said. 

Alcocer Carpio watches Chaoshan Opera at Lanhua Plaza in Liusha, Puning.

On the afternoon of the same day, Alcocer Carpio went to her friend’s hometown and visited traditional Chaoshan houses, an important branch of Lingnan traditional architectures in South China with excellent climate response to the region’s hot-humid weather.

A traditional Chaoshan house of the Sidianjin (literally “four-point gold”) structure.

Traditional Chaoshan houses of the Xiashanhu (literally “downhill tiger”) structure.

“I felt grateful for such a beautiful experience of spending the most important festival of China at the home of a traditional family. Thank you Jane,” posted Alcocer Carpio on Instagram.

Alcocer Carpio posts photos of her experience on Instagram.

Despite growing up traditionally in the Chaoshan area, Jane didn’t really try to figure out her culture’s meaning. For example, previously she didn’t know the fact that there are 108 performers in a Yingge Dance or its origin. Alcocer Carpio’s visit actually gave her an opportunity to learn more about her culture and roots.

Alcocer Carpio eats Changfen (Rice Noodle Roll). 

Chaoshan is a linguistic and cultural region in East Guangdong, which is made up of the cities of Jieyang, Chaozhou, Shantou and Shanwei. Chaoshan culture is one of the three main cultures in the province along with Hakka and Cantonese.

Chaoshan liquorice-marinated fruits.

Popiah with candy.

Chinese-style hamburgers.

Chaoshan sweets.