Rising tourism and social media buzz are bringing renewed attention to Chaoshan's vibrant folk customs.
Members of the Hemu Yingge Dance Team perform during the Yingge Carnival in Shantou, Guangdong province, on Feb 21. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
During this year's Spring Festival season, Chen Luofei barely had a day off.
The 23-year-old member of the Hemu Yingge Dance Team in Shantou spent weeks moving from one event to another — performing in parks, appearing at government-organized celebrations, and joining traditional processions across the Chaoshan region.
Located on the southeastern coast of Guangdong province, Chaoshan — which includes the cities of Shantou, Chaozhou, and Jieyang — is known for its strong clan traditions and well-preserved folk customs.
Spring Festival celebrations here feature a wide range of activities, from Yingge dance and dragon and lion dances to elaborate ceremonies honoring local deities. These folk festivities typically begin in mid-to-late December on the lunar calendar and continue throughout the first lunar month, which lasts until March 18 this year.
For Chen and his teammates, that means a packed schedule of performances.
One of the highlights came on Feb 21, when Chen led his troupe in the Yingge Carnival in Shantou, marking the 20th anniversary of Yingge dance being listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. The 2.3-kilometer parade route brought together dozens of Yingge troupes, making it the largest Yingge dance exhibition ever held in China.
Chen joined the troupe in 2017 when he was just 13 years old. Over the past decade, he has grown from an enthusiastic young learner into the team's vice captain, coach, and manager.
Chen's team currently includes two male squads with about 150 members in total, along with a female squad of around 100. Most performers are between 18 and their early 20s.
Beyond performances, the team also brings Yingge dance into local schools, introducing the tradition to younger generations.
"Many kids develop a genuine passion for it and then sign up to join our team," Chen said. "It's also a great way for them to stay active and spend less time on their phones. Passing on this tradition should start young."
Festive flavor
Across the Chaoshan region, towns and villages come alive during the Spring Festival. Throughout the month-long festive season, they host a wide range of celebrations, with residents sharing event schedules on social media that draw visitors eager to experience the region's distinctive culture.
A pre-holiday report from travel platform Trip.com Group showed that travel pre-orders to Shantou surged by 186 percent compared with the previous year, ranking first nationwide.
During the holiday period, the city recorded a 54.76 percent year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals, with most visitors coming from Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces.
On the social media platform Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok), the topic "Chaoshan New Year" has attracted more than 230 million views, while "Yingge dance" frequently trends on Sina Weibo.
Thanks to China's visa-free entry policy allowing stays of up to 30 days, many foreign tourists have also joined small boutique tour groups to experience the Chaoshan Spring Festival firsthand.
They learn how to make beef balls by hand, try Yingge dance steps, and take part in traditional Chaozhou Gongfu Tea ceremonies.
According to local authorities, visitors from Malaysia and South Korea to the Chaoshan region during the 2026 Spring Festival more than doubled compared with the previous year. Bookings for intangible cultural heritage experience tours also rose by more than 220 percent.
Zhang Yongmu, a 40-year-old ride-hailing driver in Shantou, has seen the surge in visitors up close. After years behind the wheel, he said he has noticed a significant increase in out-of-town vehicles during the Spring Festival since last year.
"Everywhere you look, there are license plates from other provinces," Zhang said. "Most of the tourists are families, drawn here by the food and the folk customs."
According to him, the festive atmosphere feels more vibrant than ever, partly because of the influx of visitors.
"In the past, we hardly worked during the entire first lunar month," he recalled. "Each village would hold its deity parades on different days, and people would invite relatives and friends over for meals. You'd spend the whole month either hosting or being hosted."
With more tourists flocking to Chaoshan, the pace of life has quickened, and many businesses now open earlier during the holiday than they once did.
Zhang's family runs a restaurant, and the Spring Festival season has become one of their busiest times of the year.
"Who wouldn't want a few extra stomachs when visiting Chaoshan?" he joked.
One dish Zhang recommends most is Chaoshan beef hotpot. The beef is meticulously sliced according to different cuts and cooked almost instantly in boiling broth, where freshness is key.
Another local staple is guo, a type of rice cake found in many Chaoshan households. It can be served in soup, mixed with sauce, or stir-fried with vegetables and meat.
For Chen, the growing attention is both exciting and motivating.
He wants to help bring Yingge dance to a wider international audience and further promote Chaoshan culture abroad.
"I hope our local Yingge teams can keep improving and find opportunities to perform overseas," he said.
"It's thrilling to see so many visitors come here just to watch us," he added. "To me, that's what the true Spring Festival spirit is about — sharing our traditions so that more people can appreciate them."
What is Yingge dance?
Yingge dance is a long-standing tradition in the Chaoshan region, with roots tracing back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The vibrant folk art blends dance, martial arts, and operatic performance techniques, and is known for its vigorous, bold movements.
Most Yingge performers portray heroic figures inspired by the classic Chinese novel Water Margin. Female troupes often depict legendary heroines such as Mu Guiying and Hua Mulan.
