Exhibitions at Wulin Qiaopi Museum presents cultural legacy of overseas Chinese

The Wulin Qiaopi Museum is dedicated to the history of Qiaopi—letters and remittances sent by overseas Chinese to their families back home. Located in the heart of Wulin Traditional Village, the museum showcases a unique collection of historical documents, photos, and artifacts that highlight the vital role overseas Chinese communities played in supporting their hometowns.

Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2024 shows the view of the Wulin Qiaopi Museum in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Qiaopi is a collective name of the correspondences and remittances sent by overseas Chinese to their domestic dependants. It is primarily distributed in the overseas Chinese hometowns in Fujian and Guangdong Provinces. According to historic records, earliest records of Qiaopi date back to the 1780s. After nearly two centuries’development and evolution, it peaked at the late of the Qing Dynasty.

Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2024 shows the exhibitions at the Wulin Qiaopi Museum in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2024 shows the exhibitions at the Wulin Qiaopi Museum in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2024 shows the exhibitions at the Wulin Qiaopi Museum in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Qiaopi archives truthfully record the political, economic, cultural and social conditions of the host countries and the domestic hometowns of overseas Chinese and well reflect the diligence, perseverance, solidarity, mutual help, venturing spirits and patriotism of overseas Chinese. They epitomize traditional Chinese cultures, including filial piety, good faith and credibility, and witness the exchanges and mergers between the Chinese civilization and other civilizations of the world. Therefore, they are the original documents for the research on contemporary and modern history of overseas Chinese, history of family, history of economy, history of society, history of culture, history of finance, history of post, history of transportation between China and the world, history of international relations and history and culture of the host countries. In June 2013, Qiaopi Correspondence and Remittance Documents from Overseas Chinese became inscribed on the Memory of the World Register for its truthfulness, uniqueness, irreplaceability, rarity and integrity.

Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2024 shows the exhibitions at the Wulin Qiaopi Museum in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Through these letters and remittances, the museum tells the story of the emotional ties and financial contributions that shaped the village's development and the broader cultural exchange between China and its diaspora. The museum serves as an important cultural site, preserving the rich history of overseas Chinese and their impact on the region.

With the vicissitude of time, the memory has become permanent. Qiaopi that is laden with the profound love of overseas Chinese for their home and dependents have transcended time and space and become the eternal historic memory of the Chinese people and the world.