On Chinese Regional Cultures

China’s long history and wide geographical area gave birth to its rich and colorful civilization, consisting of different regional cultures with their unique features.

Regional culture is one of the best reflections of the cultural identity in a region. The renowned Chinese historian Sima Qian (145 B.C.-90 B.C.) in the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-9 A.D.) quoted an old saying in his masterpiece Records of the Grand Historian: Styles change from region to region even 30 miles away and customs vary from region to region 60 miles away. Styles are the ever-changing fashion, and customs refers to relatively stable convention. However, both are very likely to evolve into regional traditions from generation to generation. The substance and value of a regional culture decide whether it can turn to a tradition.

Culture is tangible. It is reflected in people’s food, clothing, shelter and transportation. As Frederick Engels revealed in his speech at the funeral of Karl Marx, Marx discovered the law of development of human history: the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of ideology, that mankind must first of all eat, drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, art, religion, etc. So, the Chinese regional cultures can be observed in terms of the following five points. 

Diet. The food people eat every day is a mirror of local products unique to the environment of a certain place. People in northern China grow wheat, while people in southern China farm paddy rice. People in the agricultural areas eat farm produce, while people in the pastoral areas consume mainly milk and meat. Different groups of people have developed different eating habits.

Dialect. Dialect is one of the most important ways to connect people in interpersonal communication in a specific region. Dialects have played an important role in Chinese history. A regional political group or even an administrative region could develop based on the dialect spoken by a group of people living in the region. A case in point is the Guanlong Military Aristocratic Group in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Local operas are also products of dialects. For example, Shanghai opera is mainly based on Shanghai dialect.

Residential building. Most of the residential buildings are made from local materials and adapted to the local climate and environment. The stilted buildings in Fenghuang ancient town in southern China’s Hunan Province, arcade buildings in southern China’s Guangdong Province, watchtowers in the south of the Nanling Mountains, and Shikumen-style buildings in easter China’s Shanghai municipality are all peculiar architectures to the region where they are built.

Weddings, funerals and Festivities. Maintaining a custom or etiquette requires materials and money. During weddings and funerals, people often spend more than they can afford. Because of this, local customs and etiquette still exist. For example, the people in Northern China eat different kinds of dumplings during the Chinese New Year as a wish for a better life. Even if the locals move to other places, they will preserve their previous rituals and customs if it is possible. This is also a kind of nostalgia for them. Once a tradition is formed, it will be preserved for a long time.

Beliefs among folks. Compared with religious beliefs in the West, China’s beliefs are more secular. The Chinese people pay more attention to their reality, and their beliefs vary in different regions. For example, the south of Yangtze River has been the land of sericulture since ancient times, so the goddess “Silk Flower” emerged, and had been worshipped every year for a bumper harvest. The Chinese Sea goddess “Mazu” that Fujian people worship stands for wish of safety on the sea. After Fujianese moved to Taiwan, they brought the belief to the island.

Regional cultures constitute a rich and colorful Chinese culture. They testify to the great vitality of Chinese culture. These local cultures reflect the conditions of Chinese culture, especially the situation of the folk culture and grassroot culture. They are also conducive to the local economy and living conditions of the locals. Last but not the least, they are important to the preservation of traditional Chinese culture. 

The current material life of the Chinese has greatly exceeded the imagination of generations, but the spiritual life may not catch up. Some talented and outstanding figures in Chinese history have reached the spiritual realm that people can hardly surpass in the future. Therefore, these regional cultures should be well preserved and carefully studied. In the past, protection of most regional cultures was passive, but some regional cultures can only be saved from extinction through an active way. It is worth noting that the dregs of regional culture, it is also beneficial to record them as a piece of history.

The ideal of regional culture is the coexistence of diversity. With the advancement of technology and productivity, it should be recognized that the convergence of regional cultures is inevitable, but new regional cultures will continue to take shape. Popular ones will be integrated into part of the world civilization as they find their way in China and beyond.