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Introduction to Foshan, China

Introduction to Foshan, a famous historical and cultural city in Guangdong

Foshan, a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, one of the cities in the Pearl River Delta, an important node city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, is an important manufacturing base in China, a national historical and cultural city, “Guangfo Metropolitan Circle” and “Guangzhou-Foshan-Zhaoqing Economic Circle” , an important part of the “Pearl River-Xijiang Economic Belt”, a national advanced manufacturing base, an important manufacturing center in Guangdong, and a leading position in the economic development of Guangdong Province.

Foshan is located in the central part of Guangdong Province, in the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, Guangzhou to the east and Zhongshan to the south.

Foshan is a famous national historical and cultural city. Its urban area is one of the four famous towns in China. It is known as the hometown of pottery art, the hometown of martial arts and the hometown of Cantonese opera. It is the birthplace of Cantonese culture, the birthplace and flourishing place of Cantonese culture, and one of the inheritance places.

Foshan history and culture

1. Dialect

Cantonese dialect is commonly used in Chancheng District.

The Cantonese dialect is mainly used in Nanhai District, except for a few people in some villages in Heshun Town (which has been merged into Lishui Town) and Songgang Town (which has been merged into Shishan Town).

Most areas in Sanshui District speak Guangzhou dialect.

The Cantonese dialect is mainly used in Gaoming District.

Cantonese dialect is commonly used in Shunde District.

2. Diet

Foshan is the “Hometown of Food” in the Pearl River Delta and one of the birthplaces of Cantonese cuisine. The land here is fertile, the water network is intertwined, the things are beautiful and the sky is competitive, and the “sea, land and air” products are quite abundant. Whether flying in the sky, walking on the ground, drilling in the soil, animals swimming in the water, or all kinds of green and green fruits and vegetables, under the careful cooking of the master chefs, they can become delicious dishes

There are many snacks in Foshan, such as Foshan Zhati, Foshan Public Sesame Cake, Daliang Pheasant Roll, Daliang Sand, Daliang Ginger Milk, Fried Milk, Shuangpi Milk, Xiaofeng Cake, Nanhai Yusheng, Dafu Cake, Jiujiang Jiandui , Sanshui Paparazzi Duck, Crystal Dumplings, Carambola Steamed Cake, Xiqiao Flatbread, Foshan Nine-Layer Cake, Shiwan Fish Breast, Foshan Zhuhou Sauce, Silkworm Chrysalis, White Sugar Cotton Cake, Ying Kee Wonton Noodles, Jinyuan Restaurant Gan Bamboo shoots steamed cakes, Fenning sugar cotton cakes, Dakeng Scholar and Di porridge, Blind Gong cakes, Gaoming Seto powder and many other snacks.

Foshan people have created many different styles of gourmet dishes according to the specialties and tastes of different places. Foshan’s Zhuhou food, Shunde’s “Fengcheng (Daliang) fried and sold”, the reputation spread far and wide. Foshan’s many snacks, such as Foshan Blind Cake, Daliang Bunsha, Zhati, Daliang Pheasant Roll, Fried Milk, Bunsha, Nanhai Yusheng, Dafu Cake, Jiujiang Fried Dui, etc. are well-known far and wide.

3. Quyi

Foshan is the birthplace of “Southern Red Bean” Cantonese Opera. The name of Cantonese opera artists – “The Children of the Red Boat” and the earliest organization of Cantonese opera – Qionghua Guild Hall were born.

The Cantonese opera singing “Private Partnership” organized by the people is a major feature of Foshan culture, and it has been prosperous to this day. The Qionghua Cantonese Opera Festival, held every year, makes Foshan present the grand occasion of “the red boat mooring at the evening gauze, and thousands of people watching the Qionghua”.

4. Process

Foshan is a famous cultural city with a long history and the core area of ​​Cantonese culture. It is rich in Lingnan culture. At the same time, Foshan is also the birthplace of Chinese Cantonese Opera, the famous city of martial arts, the city of folk art, the capital of ceramics, and the home of gourmet food.

Foshan is one of the four famous towns in ancient China. It is famous at home and abroad for its developed handicraft industry. The exquisite folk art has a long history, originated in the Tang and Song Dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has strong local characteristics.

Foshan folk art has its own characteristics. Through cutting, carving, fluttering, plastic, tying, casting, painting, sticking and other craftsmanship techniques, paper-cutting, tying, lanterns, autumn colors (also known as “autumn scenery”, “autumn night”, “autumn night”) are produced. Dozens of artworks, such as “Autumn Color”, “Autumn Scenery”, etc.), pottery, gray sculpture (including paper flutter, sculpture, carving, sticking, casting, etc.), woodblock New Year pictures, calligraphy and painting, etc.

Foshan paper-cutting is a famous traditional folk art in China, which originated in the Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than 800 years. Foshan paper-cutting was originally based on cutting, and later switched to knife-cutting, which is unique in the Chinese paper-cutting art. His works have been selected for many national art exhibitions and national arts and crafts exhibitions and won many awards, and are often selected for overseas exhibitions.

Foshan’s autumn colors can be divided into two categories: autumn handicrafts and performing arts. And because Foshan folks are used to calling a play a set play, Shiwan residents call the costume performance play a “ground set”.

Foshan woodblock New Year pictures have a long history. According to the description of “Guangdong Cultural Relics”: “The front door is engraved with a tower of gods, and the height is equal to the eaves.” The production of Fo-shan woodblock New Year pictures flourished from Qianlong and Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty to before the Anti-Japanese War. It is a kind of folk arts and crafts belonging to local folk customs.

Foshan is the “Pottery Capital of Southern China” and “Famous Ceramics Capital of China”. The craftsmanship of pottery has a long history, with a history of more than 700 years. Built in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, the Nanfeng Ancient Stove is the oldest existing wood-fired dragon kiln in the world.

Foshan is “the hometown of Lingnan patent medicine”. The history of ancient prescription medicine has a history of more than 400 years, and a number of time-honored and famous medicines such as “Huang Xianghua” Ruyi Oil, “Feng Lioxing” medicinal wine, and “Yuan Jilin” Ganhe Tea have emerged.

Foshan’s foundry industry started more than 2,000 years ago. During the Song Dynasty, the tripods, pots, bells and towers cast by Foshan were famous all over the country. By the Ming Dynasty, Foshan’s casting technology had reached a very high level, and it had become the smelting center of South China. During the Opium War, the cannons cast in Foshan played an important role in fighting foreign invasions.

5. Customs and customs

1. New Year’s Eve Flower Market: “Xinghua Street” is a long-standing folk custom among the people in the Pearl River Delta. The flower market is held three days before the Spring Festival. New Year’s Eve is the climax of the flower market. The crowds are full of people and the water is blocked. Visitors buy flowers, which means good luck and grand plans.

2. Lion King Contest for Hegemony: Lion King Contest is one of the “one city, one special” Spring Festival cultural activities in Guangdong Province. In Foshan, there is no Spring Festival without awakening lions. During the Spring Festival, lion awakening performances can be seen all over Foshan, and some towns and streets will organize large-scale “Lion King Competition”.

Lion awakening can be seen in many places now, but lion awakening can become a special activity of Foshan Spring Festival, that is because lion awakening has a different history and culture in Foshan, and its cultural atmosphere and technology of lion awakening are also unique in the country. Foshan lion awakening belongs to the southern lion skills and integrates Foshan kung fu. Therefore, when you watch the Foshan lion dance, you can also see Foshan kung fu. If you like kung fu and lion awakening, you should not miss it.

3. Xingtongji: Every year on the 16th day of the first lunar month, Foshan people have a custom of “Xingtongji”. However, it is said that there used to be a river Tongji River near Nanpu Park in the south of Foshan City, and there was a bridge on the river called “Tongji Bridge”.

Foshan people believe that “there is no harm in doing tongji” (Foshan dialect, meaning that tongji has no worries). The river is gone now, but the bridge is still there. Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the government organizes people to cross the bridge here to burn incense, toss lettuce, and turn windmills.

4. Dragon boat races: During the Dragon Boat Festival every year, there are dragon boat races held by the folk all over Foshan, and each township and village sends a dragon boat team with the best lineup to participate in the race. The beautiful and eye-catching dragon boats are striving for the upper reaches of the river network in the water town. The two sides of the river are full of spectators.

5. Autumn in Foshan: Autumn, also known as “Autumn Night” and “Autumn Scenery”, is a large-scale folk cultural and entertainment activity unique to Foshan. In the past, autumn colors were mostly held in the evening of the autumn harvest season, and the manifestations were divided into seven categories: lamp color, vehicle color, horse color, ground color, water color, floating color, and scenery. Developed during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, various exquisite handicrafts were displayed in the form of parades, and dragon dances, lion dances, juban, gongs and drum cabinets were performed to add to the fun, allowing the masses to watch and comment.

Foshan is the “Hometown of Lion Art”, the birthplace of Nanshi, and the first “Famous City of Dragon, Lion and Dragon Boat Sports in China”, Chancheng District is “Hometown of Dragon and Lion Sports in China”, and Xiqiao Town in Nanhai District is the only “Famous City of Dragon, Lion and Dragon Boat Sports in China”. China’s Dragon and Lion Town”.

Fun places in Foshan

Foshan is a unique Lingnan water town with dense river network and beautiful ecological environment. Foshan Ancestral Temple, Xiqiao Mountain, Nanfeng Ancient Stove, Qinghui Garden, Zaomu Mountain, Nanguo Taoyuan, Chencun Flower World and Sanshui Lotus World were rated as “Foshan New Eight Scenic Spots”.

Among them, Foshan Ancestral Temple integrates ancient ceramics, woodcarving, casting and architectural art, and is known as the “Palace of Oriental Art”; Xiqiao Mountain is a national scenic spot and has the reputation of “two famous mountains in southern Guangdong”; Shunde Qing Huiyuan and Foshan Liangyuan are the four famous gardens in Guangdong in the Qing Dynasty; Gaoming Zaomu Mountain is the highest peak in Foshan; Chencun Flower World is the largest flower production and trading base and flower culture theme park in southern China; Sanshui Lotus World is the current world It is a large-scale lotus ecological garden with rich variety and resources.

There are also cultural attractions such as Lingnan Tiandi (Donghuali), Kang Youwei’s former residence, Baolin Temple, Lubaozu Temple, Daqitou Ancient Village, Huang Feihong Memorial Hall, Bruce Lee Memorial Hall and other cultural attractions.

There are also Foshan Ancestral Temple built in the Song and Yuanfeng years (1078-1085), Shunde Qinghui Garden and Foshan Liangyuan, two of the four famous gardens in Guangdong in the Qing Dynasty, Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai, a national scenic spot, and Confucian Temple in historic urban areas. , Renshou Temple, Nanhai Kang Youwei Former Residence, Shunde Xishan Temple, Shunde Bruce Lee Memorial Hall, Sanshui Lubaoxujiang Ancestral Temple, Wen Pagoda, Gaoming Wenchang Pagoda, Linggui Pagoda, etc.

Foshan New Eight Scenic Spots: Xiqiao Pinecui (Xiqiao Mountain in the South China Sea), Ancestral Temple Sanctuary (Foshan Ancestral Temple), Qinghui Yuxiu (Shunde Qinghui Garden), Ancient Kitchen Heritage (Chancheng Nanfeng Ancient Kitchen), Flower Sea Wonders (Shunde Flower World), Yunshui Lotus Fragrance (Sanshui Lotus World), Zaomu Lingyun (Gaoming Zaomu Mountain), Nanguo Taoyuan (Nanguo Taoyuan)