The Teochew Store Blog / culture
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.
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.
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.
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。
An exciting new Teochew language project has launched on Kickstarter!: Let's support it
The Teochew Store spoke with Jennifer to find out about her story and this wonderful project:
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.
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。
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?
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.
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.
Wa Si Teochew Kia now available at Bras Basah, Singapore
Ah Ma's Hair Bun 阿嫲的头鬃
Did your Ah-ma wear a hair bun like the grandmother character in our Wa Si Teochew Kia—My First 120 Teochew Expressions flashcards?
你记忆中的阿嫲是不是梳着《我是潮州囝——精选一百二十潮语词语》早教图卡中的“亞媽”(潮语:奶奶)一样的发髻?
Until about a couple of generations ago, all married Teochew women did so as a sign of their marital status. Learn more about this tradition that is at least 800 years old!
大约两代人以前,这种发髻是已婚潮州女子的标志和象征。请一起来发现这至少流行了八百多年的潮州“拍鬃”传统!
Teochews in Singapore 25 years ago
1997 Teochew Publicity Video: Today's Jieyang 1997年潮語宣傳片: 《今日揭陽》
The Last Day of the Chinese New Year
Today is the 15th and last day of the Chinese New Year. Also called Tsap Ngou Meh 十五暝 or Nguang Siao Zoih 元宵節.
Teochews mark this day with prayers for the family, more feasting, riddle guessing games and open lantern parades. Because this day provided a rare opportunity for single young men and women to meet publicly in the past, it has also been compared as the "Chinese Valentine's Day".
On this beautiful note, we leave you with this wonderful Teochew language remix of Zhou Xuan's famous 1940 classic "Full Moon Blooming Flower" (月圓花好).
“The Forest of Miss Tang" - An Upcoming Teochew Animation Film Needs Your Help
An animation film telling the history of the Teochew people, directed by a Teochew and dubbed entirely in Teochew language by 3 generations of Teochews living in France. How can you not be EXCITED?!
“The Forest of Miss Tang" (陳小姐的森林) is in an advanced stage of production and it needs funding support to be complete. The project has so far raised over €20,000 through crowd funding, but more support is still needed for it to be better.
The Teochew Store is lending our voice to this fund raising campaign as we believe this is a much worthy cause.
Watch the introduction video of the film by director Denis Do below (in French with English subtitles). To back the production of "The Forest of Miss Tang", click here for the project fundraising page.
1987 Teochew Musical Movie - Sounds of Teochew 《潮人鄉音》
Have you ever watched a Teochew musical movie? Check out this rare classic that showcases a variety of Teochew art forms, including cross talk (相聲), bamboo clapper singing (竹板歌), Teochew classical music (潮州音樂), Teochew opera (潮劇), Teochew narrative songbooks (潮州歌冊), ballads (歌謠), etc.
5 Teochew Songs to Start Your Day 五首開啟新一天的潮語歌
How about kicking off the first week of the New Year with 5 Teochew songs to start your day?
Teochew Home News - A Publication of Our Own
吳以湘與《潮州鄉訊》
生長在「五四運動」時期的吳以湘,在「新文化運動」的熏陶下,少年時期就已經喜愛閱讀書報,對文學有濃厚的興趣也奠下深厚的文史根基。他南來新加坡後,曾到中正中學總校當老師教導國文(即華文)和史地等科目。吳以湘秉着一種讓僑胞通過家鄉事物,維繫鄉情的熱忱,用課餘時間辦起《潮州鄉訊》雙週刊。一九四七年八月,由他領導的編委會在新加坡小坡美芝路一七三號成立了「馬來亞潮州鄉訊社」,並交由當年的南洋印刷社承印,以每冊叻幣四角錢的售價,在南洋各埠的書局以及報社出售。
Teochew Short Film: Uncle Goose Waits for A Phone Call 潮州話短片: 《斷捨離》
本片風趣幽默,天馬行空,是一部關於等待的故事。希望大家看了《斷捨離》,對待生活灑脫樂觀,活在當下,且行且珍惜。
注:本片所有對白均為潮州話。
The Teochew Store recommends: An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Teochews in Singapore
An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Teochews in Singapore - a rare English language book on Teochew culture. Available for purchase on Amazon.
"Penned in three sections covering a wide range of topics from history and architecture to customs and the performing arts, the 164-page book published by World Scientific is one of the few of its kind in English." - The Straits Times
A review of the book can be read here.
Teochew Documentary: Teo-yor Flute Music《潮阳笛套》
Teochew Movie "Proud of Me" Theme Song: "Father Have You Eaten?" 潮州電影《爸,我一定行的》主题曲: 老父您食未
Teochew Movie "Proud of Me" publicity video 潮州電影《爸,我一定行的》預告片
The first made-in-Teochew movie to be screened soon nationwide in China in recent times. Video uploaded for entertainment purpose.
潮州電影《爸,我一定行的》將要在中國全國上映。史無前例!
So You Think Teochews Can't Dance?
Teochew Short Film 潮語微電影: A Short Summer Evening Dream (Teochew Puppetry) 蟬聲幾度
編劇: 李銳通
木偶導演: 陳培森
Teochew Documentary: Seeing Teochew 看見潮州
The Teochew Store is turning THREE ... & we are giving away our hottest selling product
In a month's time The Teochew Store will turn three. We remain a humble set-up, but at the same time just as committed as in the beginning to our mission in Restoring Community to Our People, Bridging Teochew Culture to the World.
In line with our conviction that every Teochew should be given fullest opportunity and encouragement to be connected with the language, values and culture of our forefathers, we have decided to make available for FREE our store's hottest selling product "Conversational Teochew In A Month", as well as its Chinese versions "潮州话一月通 (简体字版)" and "潮州話一月通 (繁體字版)".