The Historical Roots of Overseas Chinese Culture in Shantou

The historical origins of overseas Chinese culture in Shantou are as follows:

The label around Shantou is "Overseas Chinese".

Shantou has more than 5 million overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and is an extremely valuable and important force. Since the establishment of the Special Economic Zone 40 years ago, the background color of Shantou founded by overseas Chinese has never changed. The development of Shantou cannot be separated from the help of overseas Chinese.

Relying on the advantages of the hometown of overseas Chinese, Shantou has embarked on a road of development with local characteristics different from other special zones, and made a unique contribution to the exploration of the road in China.

After Tang dynasty

Chaoshan area is regarded as a big county in Lingnan, and Chaozhou Port and Fengling Port are the only places on the Maritime Silk Road. Some people think that the influx of hipsters into South Asia began in the Tang Dynasty. Overseas Chinese in Shantou recorded: "In the Tang Dynasty, foreign ships docked at Chaozhou Port to load and unload barter, and hipsters arrived in Siam." However, because there is no basis, it is generally believed that in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Southeast Asia was the first choice for immigration activities.

Song and Yuan Dynasties

Due to frequent foreign exchanges, the opportunities for overseas immigrants increased during this period, but the total number of immigrants was not much. With the remarkable improvement of navigation technology in Song Dynasty, it promoted the opening of ocean-going routes, which can directly reach East Asia and Southeast Asia. For example, the "Chaozhou-Dengzhou" route extends to East Asia.

In the Ming dynasty

Chaoshan marine commercial culture has been formed, and Nan 'ao Island has even become a private commercial trading center in China. In this process, a large number of hipsters emigrated overseas in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. Due to the sea ban policy in the background of the great era, many hipsters never came back and became "overseas immigrants" in the modern sense.

Yongzheng two years (1724)

The rice trade between China and Siam started, which made the communication between Chaoshan area and Siam more frequent than ever, and also prompted more people to flood into Siam. "Guangdong Provincial Records" said: "The Chaoshan area is far ahead in the trade with Siam, and Zhanglin Port in Chenghai County will soon become a prosperous commercial port for the' red-headed ship trade' between Chaoshan area and Siam. Among overseas Chinese in Siam, the number of chaozhou people has gradually gained an advantage. "