Foshan Local Specialties

As the core branch of Cantonese Embroidery, Nanhai Embroidery carries a time-honored tradition. In ancient times, the quality of bridal embroidery crafted by local women in Nanhai would decide the amount of betrothal gifts for a wedding. Even if offered ten million yuan as betrothal money today, few artisans can produce embroidery of such exquisite craftsmanship.

Locally called dengse (festive lanterns) in Foshan, lantern-making involves creating three-dimensional models of figures, flora, fauna, pavilions and towers. The lantern art designed and produced by the Foshan Folk Art Research Institute represents a major school of traditional Chinese lantern craft, boasting the delicate and elegant aesthetics typical of Jiangnan lanterns, known collectively as "Foshan Lanterns". Detailed records of this craft can be traced back to local historical documents of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Foshan’s long-standing thriving handicrafts and trade nurtured generations of master craftsmen, giving rise to numerous renowned artworks, most famously Shiwan Art Ceramics. A time-honored saying praises Shiwan pottery: "Shiwan tiles rank first under heaven." Shiwan clay sculpture boasts an extensive history. Craftsmen passed down and innovated the craft from generation to generation, creating countless masterpieces vivid in both form and spirit.

With a history spanning over a thousand years, this tea is also known as Kudeng Tea. Its leaves are larger than ordinary tea leaves, dark black and glossy. When steeped in boiling water, the whole leaf unfurls, releasing a pale emerald liquor with an invigorating delicate fragrance. It carries an astringent initial taste, followed by a clean, soothing aftertaste. Harvested mostly before sunrise, it earned its poetic name. Sipping this tea brewed with water from the Leafless Well while visiting Xiqiao Mountain enhances its unique charm.

The biscuit takes its name from its inventor, a blind man. Its recipe stands apart from regular pastries. Most commercial baked goods use wheat flour as the base, while Blind Man’s Biscuits are exquisitely made purely from glutinous rice blended with premium ingredients: sugar, peanuts, sesame seeds, pork and raw vegetable oil.

Also named dioscorea-circumtexted gauze, it was a distinctive summer fabric popular across Lingnan from the 1940s to the 1950s. Cool and pleasant against the skin, quick to wash and dry, dark-colored and stain-resistant, lightweight yet wrinkle-proof, soft yet well-structured, it was especially favored by fishermen in coastal regions.

Its jingles once dominated Hong Kong’s street advertisements, making it as iconic as Marlboro among spirits. It features a unique profile: crystal clear, pure fermented soybean aroma, mellow, smooth and sweet, with a refreshing sweet lingering finish