By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-06-12 13:58:53 | Updated at 2026-06-13 10:12:08
20 hours ago
Hong Kong’s finance chief praised a blockbuster film about the Teochew community as it
premiered locally on Friday, and highlighted the ethnic group’s contributions to the city’s development, even as some critics slammed the production as overly patriotic.
Dear You, an unexpected box-office hit that was shot on a shoestring budget, focuses on a grandson’s efforts to learn more about his family history by tracing letters sent home decades ago between Chaoshan and Thailand.
The film will screen in Hong Kong cinemas from next Thursday.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, who is of Teochew descent, said he was moved by the characters’ deep-rooted sense of home and kinship in the film, adding that he believed even non-Teochew would share this sentiment.
Teochow, or Chaozhou, refers to a city in southern mainland China, while Chaoshan is a portmanteau referring to the region of Chaozhou and the nearby Shantou.
“In Hong Kong’s early days, a large number of Chaoshan people arrived at the city on so-called red-headed boats, and settled down,” he said.
“Over the years, the Chaoshan community has worked very hard, with solidarity and helping each other, becoming an important force in Hong Kong’s business sector.”
