During the Chinese New Year, Chaoshan created a festive holiday celebrated by everyone, garnering popularity, consumer engagement, online traffic, and global influence. Among them, traditional Chaoshan folk activities, with Yingge dance as a prime example, have gone viral both domestically and internationally.
According to statistical data provided by Meituan, during the Chinese New Year, cultural and tourism orders in the Chaoshan region increased by 114.5% year-on-year. The search volume for Yingge dance performances in February has increased by over a thousand times year-on-year.
During the holiday, Dianping (a popular review platform) also featured numerous Chaoshan travel guides. Tourists from all around the country drove long distances to Chaoshan during the holiday to experience the most special "festive atmosphere" firsthand.
At the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, Chaoshan Yingge dance performances also appeared on the streets of the United Kingdom, attracting over 700,000 spectators with their spectacular performances. As the Yingge dance performances go global, traditional Chaoshan folk customs can be seen in various places. However, the majestic Yingge dance performances are just the "appetizers" of the New Year celebrations in Chaoshan. Lion dances, flag-raising ceremonies, drum performances, and the "Ying Laoye" folk activities in various places are the main highlights of the festive atmosphere.
"While people across the country were still at work, Chaoshan people had begun celebrating the Lunar New Year." Cai Yugen, who works in Beijing, recently deliberately arranged a trip home with colleagues to experience the local folk culture of Chaoshan. "We participated in rituals, watched parades, and enjoyed various festivities such as chicken and goose competitions and drum performances. Even for offerings we hadn't prepared at home, we could order them through delivery apps, and they would be delivered within 30 minutes without any delay."
Flying to the islands of Shantou for winter, enjoying an authentic bowl of pork trotter rice in Huilai, Jieyang, and exploring the delicacies of Chaozhou while visiting the Guangji Bridge… The reason why Chaoshan has become one of the most popular tourist destinations during the Chinese New Year holiday is inseparable from its natural climate and unique culture and cuisine. Behind the booming tourism and returning-home consumption during the Chinese New Year, various emerging consumption formats are quietly emerging in Chaoshan. Young people returning home marvel at how products entering Chaoshan are becoming distinctly "Chaoshan flavored".
A local creative coffee shop has received high praise from tourists on Dianping, ranking first on the local coffee hot list. According to Meituan data, from February this year to date, the search volume for "Titalk Cafe" on Meituan has increased by 1564.7% compared to last year.
The owner of Titalk Cafe is a post-90s entrepreneur who returned to his hometown to start a business. He told reporters that, by incorporating local characteristics into coffee, the shop has crafted innovative items such as "Chao-style Latte with Old Medicine Orange","Americano with Huangpi," and "Latte with Dancong Tea", which are highly favored by young consumers. New trend setters like him actively utilize digital marketing tools such as Meituan to tap into new opportunities in the county economy, attract new customer bases, and achieve sales growth.
According to Meituan data, during the Chinese New Year, the average daily online consumption in Chaozhou saw a year-on-year increase of 51.4%; the number of participating online merchants increased by 65.1%, and the active user count grew by 26.1%.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News
