Published by ChinaMNC · Jieyang

Jieyang Hosts Global Chaoshan Diaspora Event: What Foreign Founders Can Learn About Operating in Guangdong's Smaller Cities

A government-reported gathering of 550-plus overseas Chaoshan expatriates in Jieyang highlights local heritage preservation and diaspora engagement, offering context for foreign founders considering registration or operations in Guangdong beyond the major hubs.

Jieyang Diaspora Gathering Draws 550-Plus Overseas Chaoshan Expatriates

According to a report published on the Jieyang municipal government portal, the city hosted a themed event titled "Chaoshan Diaspora Gathering in the Hometown" at the Jieyang Chaoshan Diaspora Hall (Jieyang Chaoqiao Fang). The report states that more than 550 Chaoshan-origin expatriates from 22 countries and regions assembled in Jieyang to renew hometown ties and discuss local development.

The source, attributed to Jieyang Daily, describes the event as generating broad positive response across society, with participants describing it as a gathering that consolidated the hometown sentiments of Chaoshan communities at home and abroad, expressed surprise at the pace of local change, and voiced willingness to contribute to the hometown's development.

For foreign founders evaluating where to register or operate a company in China, the report is not a business guide. It is nonetheless a useful signal of how a smaller Guangdong municipality presents itself: through diaspora networks, heritage preservation, and community-level engagement. The following sections summarize only what the source states and frame the practical questions a founder might ask.

What the Source Reports

Site visits and heritage preservation

During the event, according to the report, representatives of overseas community leaders toured Jieyang's old town and other locations to observe the results of old-town conservation and revitalization and the hometown's new development. The report says participants repeatedly expressed encouragement at the changes and said they would act as bridges, promoting Jieyang and encouraging more overseas compatriots to pay attention to, invest in, and help build the hometown, passing on the diaspora spirit and adding "diaspora" momentum to Jieyang's high-quality development.

Remarks attributed to community leaders

The report attributes remarks to Lan Chuhan, permanent honorary president of the Singapore Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan. He is quoted as saying that returning after a long absence felt both familiar and surprising: familiar in the local dialect, hometown feeling, and old-town life, and different in the renewed old town and new carriers and vitality for diaspora culture. He encouraged younger generations not to forget their roots, to understand diaspora stories, preserve Chaoshan cultural heritage, and to venture outward while remembering to return home.

The report also attributes remarks to Wu Haibing, president of the Canadian Teochew Association. Wu is quoted as expressing happiness and honor at returning to Jieyang for the event and describing the atmosphere as warm and meaningful, saying it truly brought diaspora hearts together. Wu said the biggest impression was the significant, striking change in Jieyang's old town, describing conservation and revitalization as detailed and thorough, combining visual appeal with culture, business formats, and vitality, achieving living transmission and lasting prosperity. Wu said overseas compatriots would continue to support Jieyang's development and contribute to cultural revitalization and economic development.

Local officials and residents

The report quotes Shen Jieru, party secretary and residents' committee director of Xinfeng Community, Jinxianmen Subdistrict, Rongcheng District, as saying that seeing many Chaoshan compatriots enter the old town and share hometown ties made her proud and moved, and that the return of the diaspora affirmed old-town conservation and revitalization while making her feel a heavy responsibility. She said she would focus on her duties, do solid work on old-town conservation and livelihood matters, guard the old town's roots, promote diaspora culture, and unite the community to help the old town gain new vitality.

The report also describes a local resident, Xu Peiyin, who went early on the 28th to the Mingxian Ancestral Hall to make red peach rice cakes, saying she hoped visiting relatives from afar could taste the hometown flavor. The report says that in the afternoon, representatives touring the old town followed Shishi Bridge to the ancestral hall, watched locals make the cakes, and ate a hot portion. Xu is quoted as saying residents are happy to see the old town improve and visitors increase, and hoped Jieyang's days would get better so compatriots at home and abroad could share in the results of hometown development.

Practical Reading for Foreign Founders

The source contains no information about company registration, tax, visas, or investment procedures. Founders should not treat it as guidance on those topics. It does, however, illustrate several contextual points worth noting when considering a location in Guangdong outside the largest cities.

• Diaspora networks are part of the local pitch. The report centers on overseas Chaoshan communities and their willingness to promote the hometown. Foreign founders may encounter similar diaspora or hometown-association networks when building local relationships, though the source makes no claims about business outcomes.
• Heritage preservation is an active municipal priority. The report describes old-town conservation and revitalization as a showcase. Founders planning physical premises or tourism-related activity in historic districts should expect local planning and conservation rules to matter, and should verify requirements with local authorities.
• Community-level officials are visible stakeholders. The quoted community party secretary frames old-town work and livelihood matters as her responsibilities. In practice, grassroots offices can be relevant contacts for local operations, but procedures vary and should be confirmed directly.
• Smaller cities present themselves through quality-of-life narratives. The report emphasizes old-town life, food, and cultural continuity. Founders weighing talent retention or relocation should assess such factors themselves rather than rely on promotional accounts.

Questions a founder might ask

Based only on the source's themes, a founder could ask: Which local district or park fits my activity? What conservation or planning rules apply to my intended premises? Which local office handles my registration category? What support, if any, exists for foreign-invested entities? The source does not answer these; they require direct inquiry with competent authorities or professional advisers.

What the Source Does Not Say

The report provides no figures on investment, employment, company formation, or economic outcomes. It makes no guarantees about services for foreign investors. It does not describe registration timelines, tax treatment, or visa categories. Any article suggesting otherwise would go beyond the source.

Foreign founders should treat this report as a cultural and civic snapshot of Jieyang's outreach to its diaspora, not as a business case. Decisions about registration location and operating structure should rest on official guidance and professional advice specific to the intended activity.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.