One Teochew letter

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Renowned scholar Rao Zongyi once compared Teochew letters with Huizhou’s economic files by saying that “Huizhou has preserved numerous deeds and contracts while remittance and letters were saved in the Teochew region. They are of equal value, which can never be measured by money. Instead, they should be examined from the perspective of economic history.” Rao spoke highly of the historical and cultural value of Teochew letters and pointed out the direction of future research. UNESCO also recognized the great value carried by the cultural heritage by including it in the Memory of the World Register in 2013.

Teochew letters integrate political economy, humanitarian information and folk customs, serving as important documents for studying history regarding Teochew migration, overseas Chinese in East Asia, trade and transportation as well as cultural exchange. Teochew letters offer a treasure trove of historical documents for scholars, but a large portion of them has been lost. At present, about 100,000 documents have been collected and preserved as a result of collective efforts.

The Teochew region is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. It had a large population at a time when farmland was limited, so people were forced to move overseas and build lives abroad. Hundreds of years later, Teochew people have become scattered all over the world. A saying goes that there for every Teochew in China theire is another Teochew overseas. Another one goes that where there is a sea, a Teochew person has crossed it. Teochew letters are a testament to their arduous work in foreign countries and sense of responsibility in the early years.

Teochew letters form a unique culture created by overseas Teochew people. This culture has traditional Chinese culture at the core while integrating language, customs, lifestyles and forms of worship of their variously adopted homelands. The heritage carries information of China’s exchange with the outside world and reflects Toechew people’s values, morals, spirit and emotions in different periods of time, thus becoming a significant research field on the region and its global cultural communication.

Teochew letters imply a distinct appreciation of cultural aesthetics. Various elements are fused together in a delicate way, including exquisite patterns on the batches, various stamps made by posting bureaus, charming calligraphy and unique stamps for private use. The letters are grammatically natural and emotionally intense, inspiring a range of feelings in the readers. Such feelings form a sense of cultural belonging. In this way, Teochew letters’ cultural connotation represents their unique value.

 

(edited by MA YUHONG)