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Gwangju, where the Asia Culture Center is located, has no huge China town like Incheon or Busan. In addition, the number of overseas Chinese people registered is only 300 and is gradually decreasing. Overseas Chinese in Gwangju are mainly the third generation. A decrease in overseas Chinese is assumed to result from lower immigration rates and birth rates, decline of the school-age population, and an increase in marriage with Korean people. As they stayed in Korea longer and more overseas Chinese marry Korean, their daily and rite food has been mixed with Korean culture. They cook both Korean and Chinese dishes for ancestral rites. They prepare both songpyeon (half-moon rice cake) and yuebing (mooncake) for Chuseok and both tteokguk (sliced rice cake soup) and jiaozi (Chinese dumpling) for Seollal. They usually eat both Korean and Chinese dishes in their daily lives.

Molten metal poured into the iron pot mold on Oct. 20, 2022 at Daeheung Casting located in Hanam Industrial Complex, Gwangju

Korean Chinese restaurants also called jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) restaurants are known as one of the most popular overseas Chinese businesses. In addition, fabric stores, oriental medicine clinics, foundries, and Chinese technicians including brick makers played an important role in the Korean economy. Chwi, born in Namwon in the 1950s, moved to Gwangju when she got married. She learned about Korean national holidays and ancestral rites. Since then, she has been hosting ancestral rites as the head of the family. Daeheung Casting, founded by her father-in-law, is one of the most well-known overseas Chinese businesses in Gwangju, currently operated by her second son. Let’s take a look into the ancestral rite culture of Chwi’s family.

Overseas Chinese hold ancestral rites up to four times a year, on Lunar New Year's Day, the Qingming Festival, the Ghost Festival, and the first day of lunar October called Winter Clothes Day. Unlike Korean culture, they hold ancestral rites for the dead only for three years. These days, they make dishes for ancestral rites only on Lunar New Year's Day and prepare some flowers, snacks, liquor, and fruits on other occasions. Such processes are being more and more skipped in many cases. Red is used for both good and bad days.

(left) List of money gift for Chwi's wedding on Jan. 20, 1975 (right) Certificate of marriage of the second son, Nov. 7, 2004

Their tradition of the ten soups for ancestral rites and funerals has been greatly simplified or substituted with dishes for funerals. However, they still put a paper horse or cow that is believed to carry the dead, a boy doll and girl doll, fake money, and a red-rimmed white money box made of gold or silver foil with a half coin-shaped pattern into the coffin and burn them.

(left) A fake house, a boy doll, and fake money for her father-in-law's funeral, Jul. 14, 1995
(right) A table for the ancestral rites on the day of her father-in-law's funeral, Jul. 14, 1995

Chinese people's table for ancestral rites is both similar and different to Korean's. Both Korean and Chinese people put an odd number of dishes on the table for ancestral rites. They put meat, seafood, and poultry dishes such as meat balls, chicken, and fish on the closest line from the grave. They pay attention to the harmony of different colors by decorating the dishes with egg yolk garnish, red glass noodles, and spinach. It means that they follow the principle of yin-yang and five-elements. They do not cut off the chicken head and cross the chicken legs a little bit differently from samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). Chinese put five kinds of Chinese snacks on the next line and some fruits, bōbo (steamed pun), and jiaozi (Chinese dumpling) on the last line. They put plain bōbo before the last step of a funeral and bōbo garnished with jujube for later ancestral rites. They place five pieces of bōbo both on the left and right side. Chinese people have some taboos for a table for ancestral rites just like Koreans. For example, they do not put pear (梨, lí in Chinese) on the table since its pronunciation is same as the first letter of farewell (離別, líbié in Chinese). They do not put hairy fruits and peach on the table.

The memorial service table on Lunar New Year’s Day (Feb. 4, 2022). Her parents-in-law and husband from the right.

Chwi said that she learned from an overseas Chinese elder living in Incheon when she had to take care of her father-in-law’s funeral in 1992.

“When my father-in-law passed away, we burnt paper money on the road at regular intervals on our way from Seoul Severance Hospital to Gwangju. We learned it from a person called Lǎodà (老大) living in Incheon. I heard that he also passed away.”

Most of the first and second generations of overseas Chinese who used to pass down the meanings and tradition of ancestral rites and holidays passed away. Many overseas Chinese think that the traditional rites should be simplified in some way since they are too difficult to follow and complicated. They believe that ancestral rites are part of their cultural identity. However, they do not think that the tradition will pass down to the next generations.

“When my father-in-law passed away, it was not allowed for women to go to see the burial process. I only saw the photos. I went to the last step of the funeral though. There's no one left to take care of ancestral rites after I die,” said Chwi.

We asked, “Why do you keep holding ancestral rites when women are not even allowed to go to see the burial process but you have to do all the difficult works alone?” “Because I have to,” she answered briefly.

Other people may see her as a wealthy foreign homemaker whose husband owned a foundry. However, she had numerous difficulties in her life. Their family’s wealth accumulated for 70 to 80 years since they had settled in her father-in-law’s generation became useless due to the currency reform. The government once prohibited Chinese restaurants from selling meals. She had to be separated from their families and relatives since they had to move abroad due to the limitations in the area of stores and houses. She risked her life to escape from Gwangju during the May 18th Democratic Uprising. After her parents-in-law and husband passed away, she has been worrying about her children’s wellbeing even though her body is not in a good condition. It is no exaggeration to say that her life is a miniature of the society and history of overseas Chinese who have been struggling in Gwangju.

“Because I have to.”

Her answer may be a piece of wisdom she learned from her ancestors who had to bear their lives, making the same dishes on the same days every year. Maybe dedicating herself in labor helped her forget the sorrow of losing her both parents. Maybe she realized that, after trials and tribulations, someday she will not have to worry about tomorrow and be surrounded by her grandchildren. It was unexpected that I found something in common between Korean ancestral rites and those of overseas Chinese who struggled for settling in a foreign land, enduring discrimination and exclusion.

According to 2022 data from Gwangju Korean Chinese Association, one third of registered overseas Chinese have been naturalized in Korea. After a century, their food, clothes, and language have become similar to those of people in Gwangju. Chwi told me about her life in a thick Jeollanam-do accent during the interview. I cannot even mimic a Gwangju accent even though I moved to Gwangju in 2015. I was wondering who is the true neighbor of Gwangju among us.

Familiar Strangers: Overseas Chinese Community and Food Culture in Gwangju

The exhibition Familiar Strangers: Overseas Chinese Community and Food Culture in Gwangju is held at Special Exhibition Hall 2, ACC Asia Culture Museum from Apr. 25 to Jun. 4, 2023.
The exhibition focuses on the overseas Chinese community and food culture in Gwangju. Rediscover overseas Chinese in Gwangju who have been contributing to the cultural diversity of Korean society.

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