The Teochew Store Blog / Teochew Letters
An Introduction to the Teochew Letters 潮州侨批简介
The Teochew-language film Dear You (给阿嬷的情书—"A Love Letter to Ah Ma") has taken China by storm and is set for release in Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei on 18 June 2026, with screenings in other countries to follow.
As many of us eagerly await its arrival on the big screen, we may find ourselves wondering about the real-life letters that once travelled between overseas Teochew migrants and their families back home.
Learn all about these letters called Khieu-phue (僑批, "Qiaopi" in Mandarin)—literally "the sojourner's letter"—part family correspondence, part remittance, and a lifeline across the seas—in our new feature page: An Introduction to the Teochew Letters 潮州侨批简介.
A Love Letter to Ah Ma: A Tribute to All Mothers
In case you have not already heard, a Teochew-language film has been making waves in China in recent weeks, reportedly surpassing the 100 million yuan mark at the local box office. Here, we take a brief look at Dear You — Chinese title 給阿嬤的情書 (literally, “A Love Letter to Ah Ma”) — while reflecting on those at the heart of it: mothers, the pillars of our families.
On this very day, we wish all our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.
Exhibition on Qiaopi (Khieu-phue 僑批) -
An exhibition on Qiaopi (Khieu-phue 僑批) - the "Sojourners' Letters", or "Teochew Letters" as we prefer to call them - will be held at Temenggong Artists-In-Residence (28 Temenggong Road Singapore 098775) from 13-21 Sep (closed on Monday 15 Sep).
As part of the programme, Dr Lee Chee Hian from NUS will be giving a talk on Saturday 13 Sep 2-4.30pm.
Teochew Letters were a form of family correspondence combined with remittance sent by Teochew immigrants in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to their families in the Teochew region from the early 19th century till the 20th century. They form an important part of the Teochew people's collective memory and express the strength of our family bonds in days when working overseas could separation for years or even for life.
~o0o~
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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.
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。
The Teochew Woman - Her Beauty & Strengths
By anecdotal accounts Teochew women are highly desired in China as ideal marriage partners. They are reputed for being gentle in character, imbued with strong family values and capable in managing the household. This is statistically supported by divorce rate of around 2 percent in Swatow in recent years, which is lower than most parts of the country and certainly a mere fraction of figures in Western societies. But what shapes the fine Teochew woman? Insights into letters written over a half a century ago by the Teochew husbands working abroad to home are instructive.