One Qiaopi, One Heartbeat: Preserving Our Shared Overseas Chinese Legacy
Call for Contributions of Overseas Chinese Cultural Relics & Memories
After the film Dear You tugged at millions of heartstrings, it dawned on us all over again: the words scribbled on faded letters and the stories woven into well-worn mementos aren’t just personal memories—they’re the beating heart of our nation’s shared story.
For more than a century, tens of millions of Chinese left their hometowns and crossed vast oceans. With grit and wisdom, they carved out extraordinary lives in foreign lands, yet their hearts never strayed far from home. They sent back countless Qiaopi—those iconic “remittance letters” that carried both hard-earned money and heartfelt messages—to care for their families and pour out their love for their motherland. More than just correspondence, Qiaopi are living testaments to the struggles and triumphs of overseas Chinese, and a cherished World Memory Heritage of the Chinese nation. They also stand as powerful proof of how different peoples can connect, grow, and thrive together, echoing the spirit of a community with a shared future for mankind.
As China’s only national museum dedicated to overseas Chinese history and culture, the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China has a sacred duty: to record, preserve, exhibit, and pass down the rich stories of our global Chinese community. To keep these stories alive and honor the indomitable spirit of overseas Chinese, we’re reaching out to you—overseas Chinese communities, returned overseas Chinese, your families, and all who hold these treasures dear. Donate your cherished Qiaopi, mementos, and historical records to our permanent collection. Every item you share holds a piece of an extraordinary era, and every story you tell will inspire generations to come.
What We’re Collecting
We welcome all items that capture the journey, life, and spirit of overseas Chinese, including but not limited to:
• Letters & Remittance Papers: Qiaopi, personal family letters, postcards, telegrams, remittance receipts, bills of exchange, and checks from any historical period
• Official & Personal Documents: Passports, visas, birth/marriage certificates, diplomas, labor contracts, association records, awards, wills, and other papers that tell your family’s story
• Photos & Audiovisual Treasures: Vintage photos, negatives, photo albums, film reels, video tapes, and audio recordings that freeze precious moments in time
• Everyday Mementos: Suitcases, clothing, shoes, hats, tableware, clocks, jewelry, furniture, and other items that traveled across the seas with you or your ancestors
• Architectural Gems: Decorative and structural pieces from iconic hometown buildings (overseas Chinese mansions, arcades, watchtowers, Western-style villas): plaques, couplets, wood/stone/brick carvings, plaster sculptures, roof ornaments, door/window parts, glazed tiles, and mural fragments
• Tools of the Trade: Tools, equipment, product samples, and other items used by overseas Chinese in their work abroad
• Association & Cultural Artifacts: Bylaws, journals, seals, banners, and badges from overseas Chinese organizations; Chinese newspapers, books, textbooks, artworks, and other cultural treasures
• Intangible Heritage Carriers: Items preserving our living traditions—opera scripts, music scores, costumes, props, instruments; folk music recordings; folk belief statues, ritual vessels; and artifacts related to festivals, weddings, funerals, and food culture
• Everything Else: Any physical items or oral histories that reflect the lives, hard work, and patriotism of overseas Chinese
How You Can Participate
We offer flexible ways to share your treasures, so you can choose what works best for you:
1. Donation: The most heartfelt way to preserve your story for posterity. All donors receive an official certificate of appreciation, and your name will be recognized in relevant exhibitions. Every donated item will be permanently safeguarded as part of our national collection.
2. Custodianship: If you’re not ready to part with your treasures but want them professionally cared for, we can sign a custodianship agreement. We’ll provide expert conservation, secure storage, and (when appropriate) public display.
3. High-Quality Reproductions: If you wish to keep the original of a valuable item, we can create high-precision facsimiles with your written permission, then return the original safely to you.
4. Oral History Collection: Your voice matters! Our professional team will conduct audio/video interviews and transcribe your personal experiences and family tales, turning your memories into permanent historical records.
When Can You Contribute?
This call is ongoing and permanent. We’ll accept your treasures and stories at any time, starting from the date of this notice.
Get in Touch
Collections Department, Overseas Chinese History Museum of China
• Address: No. 1A, Beixinqiao Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China
• Phone: +86-10-64063961
• Email: bwgcpb@126.com
• Official Website: https://www.ocmuseum.cn/
A Few Quick Notes
• All donated items must be legally owned and free of any ownership disputes.
• We will conduct professional restoration, conservation, and research on all collected items, and display them to the public in due course.
• For donations of exceptional historical value, we will host an official donation ceremony and arrange media coverage.
• For large architectural pieces or other hard-to-transport items, please contact us to arrange on-site assessment and free pickup.
A single Qiaopi carries a wanderer’s longing for home; a single memento holds a lifetime of love for our motherland and hometown. Beyond the stories we see on screen, real history—your history—deserves to be cherished and preserved. We sincerely invite you to share your most treasured items and memories. Let these heartwarming stories live on in our national museum, and let the enduring spirit of overseas Chinese patriotism and hometown love shine brighter than ever in this new era.
Every donation adds a new chapter to our shared overseas Chinese legacy; every story becomes an irreplaceable treasure that will inspire future generations. Let’s join hands to safeguard these timeless memories that bridge continents and connect hearts across the world.
Overseas Chinese History Museum of China
June 5, 2026
(Scan the QR code below to submit information about your items)
