Recently, the documentary A Bite of Dongguan is broadcast on the Internet in 
China, reflecting the Dongguan city's food culture. It was planned by the 
Information Office of Dongguan Municipality, and produced by China's top food 
and cultural documentary team. Now, demonstrating the human interest of the 
"world factory", it has received nearly 100 million reviews and obtained 
widespread attention. 

The documentary presents more than 130 kinds of Dongguan's local ingredients 
and dishes. Through a series of lively characters and stories, it reveals the 
diverse food culture of the manufacturing city, displays the well-kept 
tradition during the city's fast development and shows local people's attitude 
for life.

"Dongguan, the world factory, does not abandon its own culture when developing. 
We hope through food, the local can pay attention to the value of their 
lifestyle and eating habits, thus find their identity, while the non-local can 
know Dongguan from another perspective," said Li Jie, the documentary producer.

In recent years, Dongguan, as a famous manufacturing city, has attracted 
attention from the outside world. However, the industrial changes and the 
continuous migration of industrial workers remain unchanged in overseas news 
report. Dongguan is considered as a traditional manufacturing city that blindly 
pursues rapid economic development and urban space expansion, while leaves 
people no space for a better life quality. The documentary allows people to see 
the other side of this world factory.

"Dongguan not only manufactures products for the world, but also makes 
delicious food," said Chen Xiaoqing, the chief planner of the documentary and 
the chief director of the documentary Once Upon a Bite. A Bite of Dongguan is 
inspired by the city itself and the people filmed in the documentary. People 
living in the city, whether local or not, have given Dongguan cuisine new 
features as being traditional, easy-going, embracing and pragmatic. The 
documentary allows the locals to find their identity. It also functions as a 
communication platform for Dongguan to improve city image through local 
cuisine. Chen Xiaoqing said the documentary not just talks about food 
inheritance, but also about an era: through food, people can see the changes 
brought by reform and opening up to Dongguan. It has now become a world-famous 
manufacturing city, attracting people worldwide to come here and gathering 
flavor from the world.

Apart from food, the documentary also unlocks the human interest of a livable 
Dongguan, revealing a different side of a manufacturing city. In a recent 
Chinese hot news, Wu Guichun, a migrant worker been working in Dongguan for 
many years, left a touching message for the Dongguan Library before he was 
about to leave Dongguan. Later, his message was widely spread on the Internet 
and people got moved by his love for reading and attachment to Dongguan. Soon 
the local government helped him find a new job. The story, with a happy ending, 
fully demonstrates the inclusiveness and kindness of the city. Last year, 
Dongguan produced its first documentary "The Era of Manufacturing". The first 
episode "The Marvelous Workmen" is about local industrial workers' struggling 
stories, also showing the city's inclusiveness. 

Food is basic to life. As the movie subject close to life with the widest 
audience, food can easily arouse common interest and attention. Now, A Bite of 
Dongguan has started to be released overseas. It is hoped that more people in 
the world can fall in love with Chinese cuisine and understand Dongguan through 
food.

Source: The Information Office of Dongguan Municipality