The Pride of Chaozhou (Traditional Chinese: æÂÂä¾Âèª潮å·Â, Literally I am From Teochew) is a Hong KongâÂÂstyle television drama series produced by Hong Kong broadcaster Asia Television (ATV) written by Leung Tin (æ¢Â天), and directed by Siu Sang () and Jimmy Sin Chi-wai (). During filming, its working title wasãÂÂæ¶己å·ãÂÂ(Our Own People in Teochew). It premiered on ATV Home Channel from October to December 1997, starring Nathan Chan TingâÂÂwai (), Stephen Au Kam-tong, and Lawrence Lau SekâÂÂyin (), with Kristy Yang, Annabelle Man Chung-han, Lee HeungâÂÂkam, Lung KoonâÂÂtin (é¾Â貫天), and Wong ShuâÂÂtong (é»Â樹棠) in supporting roles. Its spiritual successor is I Come from Guangzhou (). The copyright is currently held by The Walt Disney Company.
The series is known for its depiction of the unique culture of Teochew. It is also considered to be a semi-autobiography of Lim Por-yen, owner and CEO of ATV at the time, being a Teochew native, hence it was rebroadcast after Lim's death.
The series revolves around the Teochew area as well as Hong Kong, where the main protagonists continued their career after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. It took place during World War II, the late Republican era in China. Cheng Sum (éÂÂçÂÂ, played by Chan TingâÂÂwai), Lee Lai Keung (æÂÂä¹Âå¼·, played by Stephen Au KamâÂÂtong), and Chu Yun (æ±潤, played by Lawrence Lau SekâÂÂyin) are sworn brothers from the same village in Chaozhou. Cheng Sum's father is a wellâÂÂtoâÂÂdo local merchant, and the Zheng family enjoys great prestige in the region. Even as a young man, Cheng Sum showed exceptional strategic talent and courage. When bandits ravaged the Chaozhou area for a decade, he devised a plan that drove them away. He later upheld justice by resolving the longâÂÂstanding feud between Upper Lian Village and Lower Lian Village. After Liberation, famine struck the Chaozhou region, prompting Cheng Sum, Lee Lai Keung, Chu Yun, and others to head to Hong Kong to seek a new life. When they first arrive, the three are so poor they can barely survive, yet they refuse to lose heart. Starting from the bottom, they work step by step, enduring hardship after hardship. In time, each achieves remarkable success: Cheng Sum becomes a leading figure in Hong Kong's garment industry; the upright and incorruptible Lee Lai Keung, after weathering the antiâÂÂcorruption storm, finally secures his footing within the police force; and Chu Yun rises to become a major player in the chainâÂÂrestaurant business. Their struggles and achievements mirror the development of Hong Kong itself.