Many Xinyi overseas Chinese have found their relatives in their hometowns this year. When they found their loved ones, a Malaysian overseas Chinese tearfully said, "We have finally connected with our hometown relatives. In the future, we can all confidently tell others that we are from Xinyi, Guangdong, and our roots are there."
In early 2024, Mr. Liu from Baishi Town, Xinyi City, Maoming, Guangdong Province, contacted the descendants of his uncle Liu Guannan through a Malaysian association based on information from the "Malayan Gaozhou Friendship Record".
During the National Day holiday, Liu Guannan's two grandsons, Liu Honghui and his brother, returned to their hometown to pay tribute to their ancestors. These brothers do not know their grandfather. When they saw the photo of their grandfather in the "Malayan Gaozhou Friendship Record", they exclaimed, "It looks so similar. They are like another 'version' of their father." They were so excited that they immediately took photos and added WeChat with people from the Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce, saying that they could help them find their Malaysian relatives when needed.
The key to so many overseas Chinese successfully finding relatives (roots) lies in the help of enthusiastic individuals active in the overseas Chinese community in Maoming, as well as the publication of a book titled "Malayan Gaozhou Friendship Record" in Malaysia in 1964.
Four years ago, Chen Qicheng, a member of the Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Xinyi City, discovered a copy of that book printed by the Malaysian Glory Printing Press in 1964 while going to the countryside to purchase old items, and bought it back.
This book has published multiple articles, such as "How to Promote the Spirit of Gaozhou," "Things to Pay Attention to in Handling Clubs," "Learning and Dealing with the World," and "My Perception of Promoting the Spirit of Gaozhou," which introduce the founding process of Gaozhou guilds in various parts of Malaysia through graphics and text.
Chen Qicheng introduced that the characters of Xinyi nationality recorded in the book have been traveling to Malaysia for more than 30 years. They include their place of birth and parental information in Xinyi. Some also record their children in Malaysia and their employment status in the local area.
The book contains a large amount of information about the migrant workers and businessmen in the lower Nanyang in the last century, which is of great value for the development of the search for relatives (roots) of overseas Chinese. Maoming Overseas Chinese Affairs, Overseas Chinese Federation, Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other departments, as well as Xu Jiabo, Chen Qicheng and other overseas Chinese enthusiasts, began to release the search information to find their relatives.
At present, according to the clues recorded in the "Malayan Gaozhou Friendship Record," more than 70 overseas Chinese have been successfully helped to realize their "root-seeking dream." Most of the people recorded in the "Malayan Gaozhou Friendship Record" are of Xinyi nationality, and many are also from surrounding counties and cities.
Nowadays, the influence of this old book is no longer limited to Xinyi. More and more citizens from surrounding counties and cities come here to seek information about their relatives. After receiving help from overseas Chinese units in Maoming, enthusiastic figures in the overseas Chinese community, and cultural and historical experts in overseas Chinese hometowns, they use their own network resources and channels to help find clues, sort out local overseas Chinese history archives, and build a bridge of information exchange for the vast number of overseas Chinese, helping them find their roots.
Author: Su Siming, Zhang Zhicheng
Stringer: Mao Tongxuan
Editor: Wei Shen, James, Shen He
Photos provided by the interviewee
