Guangzhou's themed life

Author: Li Da Hua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: What has changed our lifestyle? Who guides the cultural trends of Guangzhou? This popular book, one of the volumes in the "Guangzhou: Culture and Lifestyle Series," attempts to provide comprehensive answers from four aspects: tourism, information-based life, home culture, and fashion culture. Regardless of how diverse the opinions may be, or whether theoretical discussions have reached a clear conclusion, the lifestyle of Guangzhou people, who are at the forefront of trends and leading the contemporary world, has been emulated by many. In the past two decades, countless people from all over the country have chosen Guangzhou, essentially choosing a lifestyle and, consequently, a cultural model. As the American urban architect Lewis Mumford said, "Cities are containers of culture." In this sense, the lifestyle of a city is its cultural model. Clearly, as a historical city with over 2,000 years of history, the charm and temperament of Guangzhou do not lie in the royal atmosphere of the three dynasties and ten emperors it once hosted, nor in the stern rituals and ceremonies, but in a series of conflicting combinations: the pragmatism, modesty, and optimistic, leisurely nature of the Guangzhou people, combined with their pioneering spirit of drinking the first bowl of soup; the marginality and non-mainstream nature of Guangzhou, alongside its status as a former political and foreign trade center in modern China; the modernity of Guangzhou society and the lingering "ancient charm" of folk traditions. These conflicting elements coexist harmoniously, making Guangzhou society vibrant and diverse in its mystery. Historically, this vibrant diversity has also been a characteristic of Lingnan. "To travel to the south and face death nine times, I do not regret it; this journey is the most extraordinary of my life," if this poem was not expressed by the romantic and heroic Northern Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo while banished to Lingnan, it at least reflects his appreciation for the extraordinary landscapes of the region. Indeed, from the perspective of northerners, south of the Five Mountains, everything is filled with strange customs, and the ears are filled with the guttural Cantonese dialect, and the customs are wild and barbaric. As a result, newcomers often feel a sense of loneliness and homesickness, as if traveling thousands of miles in a lone boat, but once they settle in, they become as attached to their past as an old horse to its stable, even without eating three hundred lychees, they are clearly willing to "never refuse to be a person of Lingnan." In reality, the marginality of Lingnan has not only made it an extraordinary paradise outside the Central Plains but also an inseparable combination of contradictions: it is a land of miasma and wild smoke, yet also a treasure trove of abundant resources, "a gathering place for pearls, rhinoceros, hawksbill, fruits, and textiles." It is difficult to cross the barbaric language, yet it is also a window through which one can see the world. In terms of political destiny and the process of revolutionary history, on one hand, Lingnan is far from the center of Confucian political ethics in China, and on the other hand, in modern times, it has inescapably become the cradle of China's democratic revolutionary thought. In the more than two decades of reform and opening up, it has also become a pioneer in China's economic and political reforms. It is precisely this complexity that has made "Lingnan culture" a "prominent field of study" in academic research, comparable to various regional cultures. However, in the study of Lingnan regional culture, an undeniable consensus is the "populace nature" of cultural methods—every little detail permeated with the aroma of tea and flowers. Culture is defined by people. Here, people create culture, and at the same time, they are shaped by culture. Starting from the basic definition that culture is the sum of human spiritual and material life, Guangzhou culture is simply the comprehensive lifestyle of Guangzhou. In this comprehensive lifestyle, being the first to take the lead and pioneering is not only the most important and prominent spiritual quality of the Guangzhou people but also a striking behavioral characteristic. From history to the present, this spirit has led them to create countless marvels, creating today's globally renowned economic miracle and making Guangzhou the region with the strongest trends in China today. Moreover, a large number of facts have proven that Guangzhou, with its openness, respects and embraces people, pursues life and freedom, is suitable for the creation and sharing of culture, and is suitable for the survival and development of people. Therefore, it is more appropriate to say that culture is a way of life in Guangzhou rather than a theoretical guide. The quality pursuit of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, the development of commercial activities, and the stories of people in the city can all be seen as manifestations and inheritance of "culture." People, in culture, understand Guangzhou and its people, and no cultural interpretation system is as thorough and comprehensive as the way of life. This series aims to restore "culture" from theoretical frameworks and abstract descriptions to a concrete form, revealing the unique values, cultural spirit, and aesthetic tendencies of the city of Guangzhou and its people from the perspective of "culture and lifestyle." We focus on details and layers. It will vividly reflect the unparalleled richness of Guangzhou society. Therefore, this series is dedicated to the following themes: What has changed our lifestyle? Who guides the cultural trends of Guangzhou? In Volume 2, "Guangzhou Awaits Explanation," and Volume 3, "Guangzhou's Thematic Life," the exquisite richness and pursuit of excellence of Guangzhou will be showcased respectively.