Since the beginning of the year, the term "Chinamaxxing" has frequently trended online. Experiences with "Chinese style living" help netizens renew their understanding of China. Riding this wave, Chancheng District, Foshan, has been actively promoting Lingnan culture around the world, allowing "Lingnanmaxxing" to reach a larger audience.
Lion dances and themed floats are important carriers of this culture. Having previously been staged in the United Kingdom, Chancheng's lion dance performances and floats made their debut at the Spring Festival Carnival in Paris, France. They fully demonstrated China's development achievements and the elegance of Lingnan culture, attracting large crowds of locals who stopped to take photos.
On the African continent, overseas Chinese from Chancheng have formed a lion dance troupe in Kenya and invited locals to join them. The troupe celebrated Chinese New Year in Nairobi's Chinatown. At the Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival in South Africa, Chancheng displayed colorful banners, lion heads and land dragon props, imbuing the event with rich Lingnan features.
Chancheng's "Lingnanmaxxing" is also reflected in attracting visitors from across the globe for immersive cultural experiences. This April, a group of British families from Medway came to Chancheng. They forged friendships through football and experienced local Lingnan culture. They got hands‑on with authentic pottery‑making and paper‑cutting crafts, and watched the "original lion‑dance show" that had previously been performed in Medway.
"Lingnanmaxxing" has also resonated with Thai retail queen Supaluck Umpujh, President of The Mall Group, who has visited Chancheng 30 times. In her view, by preserving its original ancient building clusters and creating distinctive art-themed blocks, Lingnan Xintiandi in Chancheng has enabled commercial vitality and Lingnan culture to flourish together. Its unique charm keeps drawing visitors from far and wide. Lingnan heritage carries a youthful energy, which in turn gives rise to an international flair. This perfectly embodies the "Asian Pride" that Supaluck Umpujh has consistently emphasized.
Reporters: Lu Yao, Lu Haoneng
Photos: Foshan's Chancheng
