PR84850

DONGGUAN, China, July 21, 2020 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

Recently, the documentary A Bite of Dongguan is broadcast on the Internet in

China, reflecting the Dongguan city's food culture. It was planned by the

Information Office of Dongguan Municipality, and produced by China's top food

and cultural documentary team. Now, demonstrating the human interest of the

"world factory", it has received nearly 100 million reviews and obtained

widespread attention.

The documentary presents more than 130 kinds of Dongguan's local ingredients

and dishes. Through a series of lively characters and stories, it reveals the

diverse food culture of the manufacturing city, displays the well-kept tradition

during the city's fast development and shows local people's attitude for life.

"Dongguan, the world factory, does not abandon its own culture when developing.

We hope through food, the local can pay attention to the value of their

lifestyle and eating habits, thus find their identity, while the non-local can

know Dongguan from another perspective," said Li Jie, the documentary producer.

In recent years, Dongguan, as a famous manufacturing city, has attracted

attention from the outside world. However, the industrial changes and the

continuous migration of industrial workers remain unchanged in overseas news

report. Dongguan is considered as a traditional manufacturing city that blindly

pursues rapid economic development and urban space expansion, while leaves

people no space for a better life quality. The documentary allows people to see

the other side of this world factory.

"Dongguan not only manufactures products for the world, but also makes

delicious food," said Chen Xiaoqing, the chief planner of the documentary and

the chief director of the documentary Once Upon a Bite. A Bite of Dongguan is

inspired by the city itself and the people filmed in the documentary. People

living in the city, whether local or not, have given Dongguan cuisine new

features as being traditional, easy-going, embracing and pragmatic. The

documentary allows the locals to find their identity. It also functions as a

communication platform for Dongguan to improve city image through local

cuisine. Chen Xiaoqing said the documentary not just talks about food

inheritance, but also about an era: through food, people can see the changes

brought by reform and opening up to Dongguan. It has now become a world-famous

manufacturing city, attracting people worldwide to come here and gathering

flavor from the world.

Apart from food, the documentary also unlocks the human interest of a livable

Dongguan, revealing a different side of a manufacturing city. In a recent

Chinese hot news, Wu Guichun, a migrant worker been working in Dongguan for

many years, left a touching message for the Dongguan Library before he was

about to leave Dongguan. Later, his message was widely spread on the Internet

and people got moved by his love for reading and attachment to Dongguan. Soon

the local government helped him find a new job. The story, with a happy ending,

fully demonstrates the inclusiveness and kindness of the city. Last year,

Dongguan produced its first documentary "The Era of Manufacturing". The first

episode "The Marvelous Workmen" is about local industrial workers' struggling

stories, also showing the city's inclusiveness.

Food is basic to life. As the movie subject close to life with the widest

audience, food can easily arouse common interest and attention. Now, A Bite of

Dongguan has started to be released overseas. It is hoped that more people in

the world can fall in love with Chinese cuisine and understand Dongguan through food.

Source: The Information Office of Dongguan Municipality