Where past fortunes drive new futures

Spring has sprung in southern China, with humongous chrysanthemums surrounding the old Liu Rong Temple as I stroll in Sai Guan, an old part of the city of Guangzhou. Remnants of colonial history continue to fade amid the laid-back Cantonese lifestyle. Things don’t really pick up pace in these parts: the noodle spots, congee shops, kiosks, and tea parlours remain the same.

I take some time to reacquaint myself with my hometown. To get to know its past, understand its present, and gain a sense of its future. People still dry citrus peels and other medicinal ingredients on busy roadsides, in juxtaposition with the newly developed metropolis. Banking districts, five-star hotels, a state-of-the-art library and opera house designed by Zaha Hadid’s team, and art museums contribute to the vibrant and diverse nature of a city born more than 2 000 years ago.

I once met the late Hugh Masekela. He asked where I was from. I said “Guangzhou,” to which he replied, “Oh yes, Guangzhou, the ‘Chocolate City’.” He was referring to the 60 000-plus residents from Africa living here — it’s the Asian city with the largest African population. Trade is an obvious reason for this modern phenomenon, but Guangzhou’s trade history can be traced for at least two millennia. It was one of the earliest (and, for some time, the only) trade port connecting China and the rest of the world.

What I’ve known about this city since my childhood is that it is one of the more prosperous cities in the country. China’s liberal economic policies and reforms in the late 1980s first affected the province of Guangdong (then known in the West as Canton). Subsequently, its capital city Guangzhou, coastal connections to Shenzhen (now dubbed the “Silicon Valley of China” in some circles) and proximity to Hong Kong were the main reasons for its success. What I did not know was that this port city has had an important trade role for at least 1 500 years, with its geographical location helping to set up Guangzhou as a major open port on the maritime Silk Road.

“Where there is water, there will be people” – a Geography 101 lesson in understanding why people decide to live somewhere. Especially when this water flows to a place where one can connect with the world out there. This must be the place. In fact, Guangzhou is still considered to be one of the world’s top 10 cities, now a megacity. Densely populated and a choice destination for domestic and international diasporas. The historical “Canton 13 Factories” neighbourhood was the result of an imperial decision to give foreign traders temporary residential rights in the old city. The proverbial 13 trade entities from Europe rooted themselves in Guangzhou and set up office in the late 1700s. Each had a local official representative.

Trade thrived during this period, although it did not take long before war and colonialism seeped through the cracks of feudalism. Still, this period was no small feat in the history of international trade relations. The world’s richest man was once from 13 Factories. Affluence and liberalism have been embedded in this city ever since. The current Canton Trade Fair, China’s oldest and largest export and import trade show, in my opinion, is history repeating itself in present-day Guangzhou. The trade centre complex is the largest in the world.

Every spring, this gathering showcases the latest industrial and technological products from China, by industries that have made the country what it is today. I visit sites of trade history, past and present, to gain a picture of present-day China, but I particularly love a slow afternoon in the old parts of the city. Most memorable is the smell of armies of clay-pot rice bowls ready to be consumed, all so familiar and safe. The 12-year-old me feels at ease again. Cantonese cuisine is intent on capturing ingredients’ natural flavours. Poaching, steaming, cooking on low heat, in the right vessel, enhance a dish’s essence. Thanks to centuries of intercultural exchange and trade, Cantonese cuisine is flexible, appreciating ingredients previously considered foreign.

Here, “fusion food” is not a controversial topic on appropriation but a story about progress. “Yum cha” on a weekend is a popular Cantonese gathering where families get together for bite-sized delights, brunch style, sharing food and stories. If you’ve been to Cantonese restaurants in South Africa you’ll know that, apart from dim sum, there are plenty more signature dishes representing Cantonese cuisine — think steamed fish, wonton soup, and slow-cooked broth.

The late-afternoon sunshine filters through leafy avenues, against a backdrop of old-meets-new cityscapes. A sparrow symphony chirps, there are cheering sounds in mah-jong houses, men play Chinese checkers under a tree and a quietly intense audience surrounds them. Women bring out seafood to dry in the sun in between rain showers while talking about how things used to be back in the day. It’s true, I overhear more than a few exclaimed statements about “how times have changed”. I smile to myself.

This city has always been at the cutting edge of change. Things may be different, but the familiar rituals and slower pace of life seem to be the constant for me.

• From the June edition of Wanted, 2023.