The Teochew Store Blog

Tensions between modernisation and cultural preservation: The Teochew Store presentation at Crescent Girls' School

The Teochew Store was honoured to be invited to present our experience in revitalising the Teochew language to a class of secondary three students participating in the Talent Development Programme (TDP) at Crescent Girls’ School, an esteemed secondary school in Singapore.

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Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: Adele M. Fielde's "Woman in China"

8th March is International Women’s Day. On this special day, we share Adele M. Fielde’s insightful observations, as an American Baptist Christian missionary, on the lives of women in Teochew 145 years ago. It is to the sacrifices of many of these women whom we owe what we have today.

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Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: Karl Gützlaff's journey from Siam to Teochew

Karl Gützlaff went to Bangkok in 1828 to distribute Christian literature to the Chinese settlers and traders. Three years later, he found himself on a Teochew junk sailing to China, enabling him to record up-close observations of the Teochews who left their homes to become migrants and traders in Siam. 

We also share an undercover Qing official's report on King Taksin, a Teochew who became the king of Siam in 1767.

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The Teochew Store 2023 Top Ten 潮舗2023年10大

2024 is here. Here is a look back to the top 10 selling items and the top ten most downloaded free items on The Teochew Store in 2023:

2023年【潮舗10大畅销商品】和【潮舗10大最受欢迎免费电子书】出炉啦!

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Denis Do: Creating a bridge for all Teochew communities in the world

The Forest of Miss Tang (陳小姐的森林) is a 40-minute Teochew language animation film produced in France. It tells the story of a Teochew family over six generations in Swatow, China, asking the question, to leave or to stay? The Forest of Miss Tang is the first Teochew language film to be produced in the West. It was broadcast on ARTE channel in Europe on 10 June 2023 and it has since been screened in a number of film festivals around the world.

The Teochew Store managed to speak with the film's director Denis Do, a Paris-born Teochew, to find out more about his feelings towards the Teochew identity and the creation of his film.

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专访|导演杜来顺:电影为桥,连接世界各地潮州人

《陳小姐的森林》是一部在法国制作的潮语动画电影,它讲述了从十九世纪至今,一个汕头家庭绵延六代人的故事。它抛出了一个问题:“在社会剧烈变迁的背景下,我们是离开还是继续留在自己的家乡?”这部时长40分钟的动画电影已于2023年6月10日在ARTE(德法公共电视台)首映,这是潮语电影首次登陆欧洲。也在全球多个电影节的银幕上亮相,在各国的潮州社群中收获了不少好评和讨论。

潮舗特别连线本片的导演杜来顺(Denis Do),一位法国巴黎出生并成长的潮州青年,聊聊他对潮州人身份认同的经过,并运用于电影创作的过程。

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An exciting new Teochew language project has launched on Kickstarter!: Let's support it

An exciting new Teochew language project, “Numbers - English and Chinese Bilingual Book (3 Dialects)”, has just launched on Kickstarter! Its creator Jennifer Te is seeking to raise USD3,000 to self-publish her book Numbers 号码 on Kickstarter before the end of 31 December 2023https://bit.ly/Kickstarter-3bilingualbooks

The Teochew Store
 spoke with Jennifer to find out about her story and this wonderful project:
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“来拼潮州话啦!” 2023年第四届潮语比赛圆满落幕

11月12日, “来拼潮州话啦!” 2023年第四届潮语比赛大决赛在新加坡醉花林俱乐部圆满落幕。本届比赛由醉花林俱乐部和潮州文史学会主办,以活泼有趣的方式让参赛者从中认识和了解潮州文化和古汉字,从而提升潮语知识。新加坡广播电台资深潮语新闻播音员林仰忠先生担任现场主持,著名潮语学家林伦伦教授担任线上嘉宾裁判。经过激烈的角逐,三甲最终脱颖而出:状元郑然, 榜眼夏静华,探花李庆耀。

感谢主办方的邀请,潮舗在比赛现场设展位,向来宾们展示并推介学习潮语的相关书籍,包括《新编潮州口语集释》、《呾呾潮州话》、《学呾潮州话》以及《我是潮州囝——精选一百二十潮语词语》- 多媒体早教图卡。

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Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: The captains of “Ship No. 47”

Xu Xuanguan and Yang Lianguan were the captain and vice-captain of a Chinese junk that sailed from Siam for Japan in June 1693. However, adverse winds at sea forced them to divert to Teochew prefecture, where they spent the winter. They finally reached Nagasaki port a year after their original departure and gave testimony to a secret that even the Emperor of China was kept hidden from.

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来拚潮州话啦! The 4th annual "Teochew Language Challenge" is here!

Calling all Teochews in Singapore! The 4th annual "Teochew Language Challenge" (来拚潮州话啦!) jointly organised by Chui Huay Lim Club (醉花林俱乐部) and Singapore Teochew Heritage Society (潮州文史学会) is here.

 Are you keen to test how well you know the Teochew language and its written expressions? The preliminaries will be held on Zoom on 5th November 2023 and the final will be held at  Chui Huay Lim Club on 12th November 2023.


Register on WhatsApp at the number shown on the poster before 2 November 2023. Hurry! 

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The Teochew Store and Maha Yu Yi jointly hold "Fun with Teochew" interactive introductory language class

On 7 October 2023, The Teochew Store had the wonderful privilege of conducting "Fun with Teochew" interactive introductory language class at Singapore's leading Chinese language bookstore Maha Yu Yi.

Minying, who is the Teochew language reader for our Wa Si Teochew Kia—My First 120 Teochew Expressions multimedia flashcards, led a group of children to learn  through games family address terms and emotion expressions in Teochew, as well as knowledge about Teochew and its culture. 

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潮舗与友谊书斋联合举办《潮州话,好好玩!》互动体验课活动

2023年10月7日,潮舗有幸在新加坡知名中文书店友谊书斋开办《潮州话,好好玩》互动体验课活动。《我是潮州囝——精选一百二十潮语词语》多媒体早教图卡的潮语配音员玟瑛在现场通过互动游戏,教小朋友一些简单的潮州家庭称呼和情感词汇,在学习中了解潮州的知识和文化。

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Why do Teochew numbers 1-10 sound similar to Cantonese, Japanese and even Thai?

Have you ever noticed that our Teochew numbers 1 to 10 sound different, but yet somewhat similar, to the numbers in Cantonese? 

What's the story behind? Let's find out!

 Number Teochew Cantonese Japanese Thai
1 一 zêg8 (ig4) yat1 ichi หนึ่ง nueng
2 二  no6 (ji6) yi6 ni สอง sawng
3 三 san1  saam1 san สาม saam
4 四 si3  sei3 shi (yon) สี่ see
5 五 ngou6 ng5 go ห้า hah
6 六 lag8  luk6 roku หก hoke
7 七 cig4 cat1 shichi (nana) เจ็ด jed
8 八 boih4 baat3 hachi แปด ppaed
9 九 gao2 gau2 kyuu เก้า gaao
10 十 zab8 sap6 juu สิบ sip

     

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    Vivian Lee: Passing on the Teochew language with technology and dedication

    Teochew Gasig  (潮州教室) is an Instagram and Facebook platform that teaches and explains daily Teochew words and phrases in English, Indonesian and Mandarin. Since its inception in 2021, it has built a strong following among young Teochews from many countries.

    The founder of Teochew Gasig is Vivian Lee, who lives on Batam Island. What made this member of Generation Z want to promote our ageless and charming Teochew language to other youngsters on social media? Recently The Teochew Store has had the privilege to chat with Vivian to find out about her journey in running Teochew GaSig.

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    李佳纹:用科技和匠心接棒潮语传承

    潮州教室(Teochew GaSig )是一个用英语、印尼语及华语来教授及解释日常潮州词语及短语的InstagramFacebook账号。自2021年创办至今,深受各国年轻潮州人的欢迎。

    居住在印尼巴淡岛的李佳纹小姐是潮州教室的创办人。究竟是什么原因让作为Z世代的她,开始在社交媒体向年轻人推广潮州话这门历史悠久、别具魅力的语言?近日,潮舖The Teochew Store特别连线佳纹,请她与我们分享创办“潮州教室”的心路历程。

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    Teochew Short Film for the Hungry Ghost Festival 潮语中元节微电影: "The Overseas Sojourner"《番客》

    A Teochew language short film about a Teochew who left for Siam, returning home after many years.

    本作品围绕过番习俗,以艺术拍摄手法和原创动画制作形式表达潮州人在盛行出国谋生的“过番”年代,“番客”与家人之间的离别相思之情。

    Click on link below to watch. 请点击观赏:
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    Lim Ngian Tiong: Reviving Teochew language starts at home

    Lim Ngian Tiong, Nigel, is a veteran Teochew language radio newscaster and teacher in Singapore. He has been actively spreading Teochew language and culture through the radio, opera stage and classroom for half a century.

    Coincidently 2023 marks Lim Ngian Tiong’s 50th anniversary as a Teochew language radio newscaster and his 20th year as a language teacher. Lim Ngian Tiong has also served as language instructor and event host for the annual "Lai Bia Teochew Ue" (來拼潮州話) quiz competition for Teochew language enthusiasts in Singapore since 2020.

    The Teochew Store had the pleasure of speaking with Lim Ngian Tiong recently to learn about his journey in promoting Teochew language and culture, and to pick up some tips for young people interested in learning to speak Teochew.

     

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    林仰忠:复兴潮州话,从家里开始

    来自新加坡的林仰忠先生是资深的潮语新闻播音员,也是资深的潮州话老师。半个世纪以来,他一直在广播、戏剧、潮语课等多方面传播潮语及潮州文化。

    2023年,是林仰忠先生从事潮语新闻广播的50周年,也是他开班教授潮州话的20周年。从2020年开始,林仰忠先生担任潮语导师,为新加坡“来拼潮州话”年度竞赛出题并主持,热心带领潮语爱好者们“寻音觅字”。

    潮舖The Teochew Store 特别连线林仰忠先生,请他与我们分享在推广潮语及潮州文化的心路历程,并为有心学习潮州话的年轻人解疑答惑。

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    Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: A Spanish Jesuit shipwrecked in Teochew (Part 2)

     

    "Well-built and tall, of white complexion, cheerful and good-looking". These were the descriptions of the physical appearance of the Teochew people given by Adriano de las Cortes, a Spanish Jesuit Father who was shipwrecked in Teochew in 1625.

    However, what Cortes wrote about their character is a far less pleasant read: “They are extremely subtle, cunning and deceitful, and they show neither friendship, fidelity, nor compassion to foreigners and, moreover, show very little of it among themselves”. Was he being bias, vindictive or simply giving his true opinions?

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    Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: A Spanish Jesuit shipwrecked in Teochew (Part 1)

    Three words that strike fear in every Teochew child: pah ka-ceng 拍尻倉!

    Did you know that this was once also a punishment meted out to adults in China? A Jesuit Father, Adriano de las Cortes, learned this shuddering fact, and more, when a shipwreck made him an accidental visitor to the Teochew region 400 years ago.

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    Teochew Song: My Dearest Mother 潮州歌曲:親愛媽媽 (English translations to lyrics)

    Wishing all mothers Happy Mother's Day. 祝天下妈妈,母亲节快乐!
    Lyrics:

    记得细许滇时

    Remember the days when I was small

    山花开放香满天

    Mountain flowers in bloom and fragrance filled the air

    听着伊轻声教我念诗儿

    Hearing her soft voice teaching me to read poems

    慈母线 游子衣

    The compassionate mother’s threads sew the clothes on the wandering son

    丝丝暖意在身边

    Delicateness and warmth by my side

    倚着伊 满是温馨欢喜

    Leaning against her, it's full of warmth and happiness

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    Deng Cueng: Telling the Story of Teochew through Documentary & Old Photos

    Wild Teochew, the first ever nature-documentary on wildlife in the Teochew region was officially released in the Teochew language recently. Deng Cueng (丁銓), who hails from Teochew, China, is the documentary’s director, as well as the editor of the photographic collection Historical Photos of Teochew. The Teochew Store had the pleasure of interviewing Deng Cueng to learn about his enthusiasm in promoting the nature and culture of his homeplace and the gains he has received from it.

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    丁铨:用纪录片和老照片讲述潮州故事

    近期,首部讲述潮州野生世界的自然纪录片《野性潮州》潮语版正式上映。来自中国潮州的丁铨是这部纪录片的导演,也是影集《旧影潮州》的编著者。潮舖特别连线丁铨先生,请他与我们分享他在推广家乡自然及人文文化中的热忱和收获。

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    Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: The Scholar-Officials of Song

    A thousand years ago our ancestors in Teochew lived together with giants. Giants that weighed four tons, neared three metres in height, had two floppy ears, a trunk and a mammoth appetite.

    An entry in the History of Song (宋史), dated 1171, reported that farmers in the Teochew prefecture had to set up pit traps in their fields after hundreds of wild elephants ate their crops. The cause of the conflict was quite imaginably the expansion of human settlements and agricultural activities into the animals’ habitats and stomping grounds. However, the elephants did not withdraw into the forests as a result. Instead, they organised themselves into herds and waited on the roads to ambush any passing cart or horse, which they encircled until the humans collected grain to feed them. To live with nature rather than conquer it was a wisdom our forefathers understood well.

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    Recipe for making Soon Kueh using winter bamboo shoots

    Here is a recipe from Singapore for making Soon Kueh using winter bamboo shoots (dang soon 冬笋)

    Courtesy of Mr Tan Peng Boon.

    Follow The Teochew Store on Telegram/ 欢迎订阅潮舗的Telegram频道,获得最新资讯: https://t.me/theteochewstore

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    Wild Teochew 《野性潮州》 - now in Teochew-language commentary

    Wild Teochew 《野性潮州》 is the first video produced on the wildlife in the Teochew region. It is a collection of footage produced by a group of local nature lovers over the course of 3 years.

    This amazing documentary was nominated for the Best Production award (最佳作品) in the 3rd China Wildlife Image and Video Competition in 2022 (2022第三届野生生物影像年赛) hosted by Chinese National Geography and organized by DDFW and Chinese National Geography Book Company. 

    Wild Teochew can now be watched in Teochew-language commentary provided by its director Deng Cueng 丁铨 (author of Historical Photos of Teochew 旧影潮州), accompanied by Chinese and English language subtitles.

     

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    Wa Si Teochew Kia now available at Bras Basah, Singapore

    We are delighted to inform all friends in Singapore that besides our official website, Wa Si Teochew Kia—My First 120 Teochew Expressions can now be purchased at one of Singapore’s most established Chinese language bookstores, Maha Yu Yi, which is located at Bras Basah Complex.

    我们很高兴地通知新加坡的朋友,《我是潮州囝——一百二十精选潮语词语》在位于新加坡百胜楼的知名华文书店友谊书斋正式上架!除了通过潮舗网站,您也可以到友谊书斋购买到这套图卡。
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    Teochew through the eyes of its visitors: Chen Yaozou, an unsung hero

    History has a funny old way of repeating itself.

    Chen Yaozuo (陳堯佐) was a prime minister and grand tutor of the crown prince of the Song dynasty (960–1279) in the 11th century. Coming from a family of officials, he was a rising star at the start of his career, until he bravely, or some might say foolishly, answered a call of Emperor Zhenzong for open criticisms by submitting a memorial that spelt out the ills of the times, including matters that no one else dared to speak about. As a result, Chen Yaozuo was banished and demoted to become an assistant prefect in the Teochew prefecture. This happened in 998, almost 180 years after Han Yu of the Tang dynasty suffered a similar fate.

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    Recipe for making Ku Chai (chives) Kueh

    Here is a recipe from Singapore for making Ku Chai (chives) Kueh.

    Courtesy of Mr Tan Peng Boon.

    Follow The Teochew Store on Telegram/ 欢迎订阅潮铺的Telegram频道,获得最新资讯: https://t.me/theteochewstore

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    Recipe for making Ko-le (cabbage) Kueh

    Here is a recipe from Singapore for making Ko-le (Cabbage) Kueh. 

    Courtesy of Mr Tan Peng Boon.

    Follow The Teochew Store on Telegram/ 欢迎订阅潮铺的Telegram频道,获得最新资讯: https://t.me/theteochewstore

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