Cultural Interchange Between Guangzhou and Southeast Asia Before the Qing Dynasty—Take the Example of Guangzhou Exported Artworks

Abstract

This paper focuses on the spread of artwork between Guangzhou and Southeast Asia before the Qing Dynasty, discovering the cultural exchange between Guangzhou and Southeast Asia through artwork. A study and visual analysis of the trade interactions between Guangzhou’s exports to Southeast Asia of tooth carvings, silk, and porcelain during the Qing dynasty will be conducted to arrive at the cultural integration and diffusion of Guangzhou and Southeast Asia in the trade. I will use a literature survey, data analysis, and comparative research methods to conduct the study. There are not many studies on artworks in the trade exchanges between Guangzhou and Southeast Asia, therefore, this thesis can contribute to the study of the literature on artworks between Guangzhou and Southeast Asia. The findings of the study show that Guangzhou and Southeast Asia have influenced the habits and aesthetic level of people in both places in the spread of artworks.