As the Chinese New Year approaches, a unique cultural exchange unfolded at the China Cultural and Tourism Gala (Spring Festival Special) in Yangjiang, where Polish vlogger Ciesielska Alicja Ilona embarked on a journey to find the perfect Guangdong-style New Year gifts.
From Shaoguan: Embroidery decorations of blessing
Her first selection was a delicate blush-pink dragonfly brooch with rose-tinted wings, crafted using Shaozhou Hakka Embroidery, an intangible cultural heritage technique from Shaoguan.
Shaozhou Hakka Embroidery is a traditional needlework craft practiced in the Hakka communities of Shaoguan, Guangdong. Drawing inspiration from nature and daily life, the embroidery celebrates the natural world and is rich in symbolic meaning. It is commonly used to adorn clothing and accessories.
Hou Yuling, Director of the Shaozhou Hakka Embroidery Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop, introduced a traditional Hakka children's hat ornament. "In Hakka culture, we make both flat and three-dimensional embroidery on children's hats as blessings, hoping they will have wealth above their heads."
Because of Shaoguan's status as China's orchid heartland, artisans have created entire collections of orchid-themed accessories. "We make orchid hairpins, brooches, and ornaments—all kinds of orchid decorations."
Zhongshan's sweet legacy: The pineapple
Transitioning from visual artistry to culinary delights, Ilona discovered Zhongshan's pineapple heritage.
Chen Jiayi, Director of the Publicity and Cultural Service Center of Zhongshan's Shenwan Town, revealed the fruit's century-old journey. "The pineapple was first transplanted here in 1915, all the way from Peru in South America."
Today, the tradition thrives with approximately 333 hectares of pineapple fields in Shenwan Town's Yaji Mountain area, producing about 5,000 tons annually.
Shenwan Town has also developed over 20 types of deep-processed pineapple products, including craft pineapple beer, pineapple juice, and dried pineapple, with the total output value of the entire industry chain exceeding 200 million yuan.
The art of tea from Chaozhou
Finally, Ilona found herself completely drawn to the flavor of Chaozhou tea.
Chaozhou Gongfu Tea Art has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The term "Gongfu" in Chinese implies a process that requires significant time and skill, reflecting the highly meticulous and elaborate nature of this tea brewing method.
For brewing Gongfu Tea, oolong tea varieties are preferred, with the locally produced Fenghuang Dancong tea particularly cherished by people in the Chaoshan region.
Chaozhou is one of China's three major oolong tea production areas. Fenghuang Town, the origin of Fenghuang Dancong tea, has a tea planting history of over 900 years.
Fenghuang Dancong tea is known for its ten major aroma types. Tea master Li Jiaying, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor of Zhouzhengtang Tea Art, highly recommended two distinctive varieties: the famous Honey Orchid Aroma, which offers "a very fragrant and sweet aroma" with "a very smooth taste," and the intriguingly named Duck Shit Aroma, which surprises with "a very long-lasting floral fragrance" despite its unconventional name.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Video & Poster | Liang Zijian
