A box of tasty snacks : old papa’s café, the traditional Hainanese café culture in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China

Abstract

Old Papa’s Café (“老爸茶”) is an exotic eating habit from Southeast Asia, created by the Hainanese Overseas Chinese in the early 20th century and gradually accepted by the local people, it has become an integral component of Hainanese lifestyle. Formerly, this fashion could only be enjoyed by the upper classes. However, due to ongoing economic transitions and social development of China, today, this café culture is no longer a privilege but a cultural practice that is inclusive with all classes of society. Old Papa’s Café is more than a restaurant business, it is a cultural practice that depicts a way of Hainanese life, a legacy of the Chinese Diaspora and the influence of the Overseas Chinese, who returned from British colonies in Southeast Asia back to their Hainanese hometown in the early 20th century. Additionally, this café culture has now become an indispensable part of Hainanese life and an iconic symbol for local culture. However, although some efforts have been made, Old Papa’s Café is now quickly declining as a result of the impact of cultural globalized economic development to both its tangible and intangible features. The most urgent issue is that it is under the threat of being replaced by modern dining establishments. Hence, there is an urgency to document and interpret this unique Hainanese legacy to understand its cultural significance and document its overseas Chinese origins, thereby, identifying challenges and opportunities to sustain this cultural practice, and to protect it as a form of intangible cultural heritage. The objective of this dissertation is to document this unique Hainanese cultural practice known as Old Papa’s Café. Based on the identification of values and issues of this café culture, this dissertation will illustrate Old Papa’s Café as a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) as defined by UNESCO.