The Chaozhou dialect, one of the Chinese languages, is one of the most ancient and special languages in the country nowadays, and is known as the living fossil of ancient Chinese. The international language code defined by UNESCO for it is ISO 639-6chao.
In ancient times, Chaozhou Prefecture was the political center of the Chaoshan region, and the accent of the Chaozhou language was represented by that of Chaozhou Prefecture. In modern times, the Teochew accent in Shantou city has become the standard accent for promoting the Teochew language to the outside world by integrating the characteristics of the accents of different parts of the Shantou area, with neither high nor low pitch, and with rising and falling tones. The standardized accent of Teochew has gone through a process of transition from Teochew to Shantou, a process similar in nature to the transition of Wu from Suzhou to Shanghai.
The Teochew language is simple and elegant, with a rich vocabulary, a special grammar, a lot of ancient words and meanings, and a vivid and humorous language, which is very different from other languages. In addition, there is still no conclusion as to whether Teochew is a language or a dialect. Contemporary academics mostly classify Chaozhou as a sub-dialect of Southern Min or Southern Min dialect. In the fourth edition of the New Map of China's Provinces issued by the Shanghai Declaration Center in 1939, Zhao Yuanren changed "Sino-Tibetan language family" to "Sino-Tibetan language group" and "Chinese language family" to "Chinese language group" on the fourth page of the "Map of Chinese Provinces". Chinese language family" was changed to "Chinese language family". In the map, the "Chinese language family" is divided into nine units: "Northern Mandarin, Shangjiang Mandarin, Hajiang Mandarin, Wu dialect, Anhui dialect, Min dialect, Chao dialect, Cantonese dialect, and Hakka dialect".
According to history, the Teochew language began in the Qin and Han dynasties, developed in the Tang and Song dynasties, and took shape in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, forming an independent language system. The main body of the ancient Chinese language in the Central Plains, mixed with the Min dialects, Wang Shuo once laughed: "Qin Shi Huang speak a mouthful of Teochew". Teochew pronunciation*** has eight tones (Mandarin is four tones). The eight tones of Teochew have been summarized as: "Hong Kong police, old and feeble", "low resistance to the ground, drip pool, younger brother Di Di". The oldest surviving dictionary of Teochew sounds is "The Fifteen Sounds of the Teochew Language" written by Zhang Shizhen, a merchant from Chenghai at the end of the Qing Dynasty.
The Chaoshan area has a long history and unique folk culture. Chaoshan Goodwill Hall is a model of Chinese folk philanthropy; Teochew cuisine is renowned throughout the country and is one of the highest-end cuisines in the country, and as a stalwart of the Cantonese cuisine, it has the reputation of being the most up-to-date dish;
The Teochew Opera is one of the top ten local dramas in China, and the "Reprinting of the Five Colors of Teochew Spring Inserted in Poetry and Northern Quarters of the Hooker's Lai Mirror Records of the Opera Collection" with more than 400 years of history, commonly known as the "Lai Mirror Records," is the first opera written in the Teochew language and is the first to have been written in the Teochew language. The first literary masterpiece written in Teochew. In terms of singing, dancing and playing music, the so-called "Yangge in the north and Yingge in the south", the rough and bold Puning and Chaoyang Yingge Dance is an oddball in the southern art forest; as a major category under the Teochew music, the celebratory and joyful Teochew big gongs and drums are even more famous both at home and abroad; and the other Raoping Step Horse Dance, Chenghai Centipede Dance, Qiaolin Fireworks Fireworks and other square performances are also quite ornamental; in terms of folk houses, the Teochew Dance is a great success, as it is the most popular and popular dance in the world. In terms of residential area, "Chaoshan Alley, Palace", the unique Chaoshan residential area has a classical elegance.
Summary, a wide variety of Chaoshan culture is tens of millions of Chaoshan people have **** spiritual wealth, its origin in the Chaoshan ancestors, molding in the Qin and Han dynasties, the development of the Tang and Song dynasties, flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, innovation in modern times, is a branch of the Chinese nation's excellent traditional culture. It is a branch of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. It is characterized by the compatibility of Chinese and foreign cultures and has its own unique cultural system. With its own characteristics of Teochew language, Teochew drama (Teochew Opera, Teochew Tiezhi Puppetry, Zhengzhi Opera), Teochew music, Teochew cuisine, Teochew Kung Fu Tea, handicrafts (e.g., Teochew embroidery, Teochew wood carving, shell carving, stone carving, drawings, paper-cutting, straw paintings, paintings inside bottles, etc.), Teochew folklore, and Teochew's unique charitable structure (e.g., Teochew Goodwill Church), it is both Teochew's and the world's.
Collections, the Overseas Chinese Cultural Relics Museum of the Chaoshan History and Culture Research Center in Shantou is the first Overseas Chinese Cultural Relics Museum in China; the Liu Mingtong Museum in Chaonan District is the first folk museum in China, and there are also folk museums, the Huaxia Museum of History in Chaoan and others that are still kept in the bosom of the people to be known, such as a certain store on Taiping Road in the Paifang Street of Chaoshan City; the Chen Yangzhong Museum of Fine Arts in Chaoshan City is China's first individual ceramic Art Museum; Chen Shunqiang wood carving art museum, traditional handicrafts exhibition hall, China Porcelain City Exhibition Hall, Rao Zongyi Academic Hall, Tempest House of Cultural Relics, ceramics eight treasures building. Chenghai District, Tashan Scenic Area has the first domestic folk memorial hall;
Character museums and former residence of Jieyang Huangqishan Teochew Eight Sages Memorial Museum, Ding Richang Museum, Puning "August 1" Memorial Museum, Puning City, Nanxi Town, the former residence of Yang Shixing, Puning City, Hongyang Town, the former residence of Lin Zexu (Wenchang Pavilion), Jiexi County, the former residence of Zeng Xijing, Pu Ning City, Fangfang Memorial Hall, Pu Ning City, the former residence of Yang Shi Ling, Hongyang Town, the former residence of Lin Zexu (Wenchang Pavilion). Fang Fang Memorial Hall in Puning City, Zhuang Shiping Museum in Puning City, Fang Yao's Former Residence in Puning City. Rao Zongyi's former residence in Chaozhou City, Lin Daqin's former residence in Chaoan County, and Zhang Jingsheng's former residence in Raoping County; Weng Wanda's former residence in Pengzhou Soseong, Shantou City; Tang Boyuan Museum in Chenghai District, Qin Mu's former residence in Chenghai District, Cheng Xin's former residence in Chenghai, Chen Cizhong's former residence in Chenghai, Cai Chusheng's former residence in Chaoyang District, Dafeng Ancestor Memorial Museum in Chaoyang District, and Zhou Guangxo Memorial Museum in Chaonan District.