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Box office hit 'Dear You' is fuelling heritage tours to China’s Chaoshan. How are villages responding?
🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Box office hit 'Dear You' is fuelling heritage tours to China’s Chaoshan. How are villages responding?

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The Chinese film 'Dear You,' which explores themes of family and identity through the story of a Teochew villager searching for his grandfather, has become a box office hit.
  • The movie's success has inspired heritage tours to China's Chaoshan region, with flight bookings from Singapore and Malaysia showing notable increases.
  • Travel agencies are adapting by creating new itineraries focused on the Teochew heritage, reflecting the film's impact on cultural tourism.

The critically acclaimed Chinese film 'Dear You' is not only a box office success but is also driving a surge in heritage tourism to China's Chaoshan region. The movie, filmed predominantly in Teochew, follows a young villager's journey to Thailand to find his grandfather, who fled Chaoshan during the 1940s civil war.

Set against the backdrop of mass Teochew migration to Southeast Asia, the film delves into themes of family, identity, and the longing for home. Its emotional resonance has prompted descendants of Teochew migrants worldwide to visit their ancestral homeland and reconnect with their roots.

Jennie Lim, a Singaporean human resource professional, and her mother embarked on an eight-day trip to Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang, key filming locations, inspired by the movie. Lim stated, "We actually wanted to come here already, but the movie was what made my mother decide to do the trip." Their journey focused on exploring heritage sites and understanding the history that shaped their family's connection to Singapore.

We actually wanted to come here already. But the movie was what made my mother decide to do the trip.

— Jennie LimA Singaporean human resource professional explaining how the film 'Dear You' inspired her and her mother's trip to Chaoshan.

'Dear You' has earned nearly 2 billion yuan (US$296 million) in the Chinese mainland box office and over 2.1 billion yuan globally. The film's popularity has directly translated into increased interest in Chaoshan heritage tours. Data from Trip.com Group shows a 23% year-on-year rise in flight bookings from Singapore to Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport between June 18 and July 19, with a 6% increase from Malaysia during the same period.

Travel agencies are capitalizing on this trend, with companies like EU Holidays launching new itineraries specifically centered on Chaoshan's Teochew heritage. This phenomenon underscores the powerful influence of cinema in shaping cultural tourism and fostering a deeper connection between diaspora communities and their ancestral origins.

The main purpose was to come and look at heritage, (places) and what actually brought our ancestors to Singapore.

— Jennie LimExplaining the motivation behind her heritage tour to Chaoshan.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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