Chinese films and television series are becoming increasingly popular in ASEAN countries, with young audiences overseas expressing a strong desire for more content. This sentiment was a key topic of discussion at the "China-ASEAN Youth Cultural Heritage Tour" event recently held in Dunhuang, Gansu Province.
The recently released Chinese movie "A Love Letter to Grandma" became a hot topic among participants at the event. Young people from several ASEAN nations, including Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, noted that film and television have become a vital window for their generation to understand Chinese culture and voiced their hope for more such productions.
From July 2nd to 5th, young scholars, international students, media reporters, and online influencers from China and ASEAN countries visited local cultural heritage institutions and creative enterprises in Dunhuang. The aim was to explore new pathways for youth engagement in cultural exchange and to foster regional cultural cooperation.
Discussing "A Love Letter to Grandma," Thai-Chinese singer Ma Huizhen, born in the 1990s, expressed great fondness for the film. Although she hasn't seen the full movie yet, she has followed related content on social media, learned its theme song "Brewing Tea Under the Moon," and even created a fusion version blending Thai language with the Chaoshan dialect of Chinese, which gained significant popularity among young Thai netizens.
The enthusiasm of Thai youth for Chinese dramas is something Yang Bingxuan, a Thai student majoring in finance at the Central University of Finance and Economics, knows well. She is particularly fond of the historical costume drama "The Story of Ming Lan" and can fluently recite the Song dynasty poem "Like a Dream" cited within the show. Her visit to Dunhuang and retracing the steps of the ancient Silk Road allowed her to connect the drama's scenes with real locations, deepening her understanding of China's long history and brilliant culture.
Thirty-year-old Cambodian media professional Joe Piseth has long been captivated by Chinese historical dramas. "Chinese films and TV series are very well-known in Cambodia," he said. "I really enjoy 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and admire Zhuge Liang's wisdom. I'm also a big fan of Su Dongpo. I hope China will produce more historical works focusing on the interactions between world civilizations."
Today, Chinese film and television serve as a crucial bridge for ASEAN youth to comprehend China and connect different cultures. In the view of Lin Jiahao, Director of the Malaysian Chinese Museum, leveraging the influence of film and TV IP to integrate with cultural heritage resources and embed them into the daily lives of overseas communities represents a significant opportunity for cross-border cultural cooperation.
During an interview in Dunhuang on July 4th, Lin Jiahao mentioned that his museum has initiated the digitization of Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters) resources. Future plans include sharing these digital archives with cultural heritage institutions across Southeast Asia, ensuring the enduring legacy of this transoceanic cultural heritage.