The "2026 Global Writers in Guangdong Program" brought writers from South Korea, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam to Jiangmen to explore its century-old culture and local life.
At China Qiaodu Museum of Overseas Chinese, the writers examined historic qiaopi that told stories of struggle and homesickness among early Chinese laborers. A restored scene of workers balancing on ladders deeply moved Vietnamese writer Nguyen Khac Ngan Vi, who recalled childhood documentaries about Chinese railroad workers in America. "Seeing Liang Qichao's story here again still touches me," she said.
Mexican writer Manuel Becerra praised the program for helping share Chinese culture with the world. "When I return to Mexico, I can tell others about this completely different culture," he said.
In the afternoon, the group visited Xinhui's Chenpi Ancient Trail, where South Korean writer Song Gabin called the aging process of chenpi "an art of time." They also toured "Birds' Paradise" wetland park, where a centuries-old banyan tree forms a forest of its own, with thousands of egrets roosting overhead.
Peruvian poet Gian Pierre Cordalupo was thrilled to learn that painter Guan Shanyue had once sketched there. He plans to feature the artist and the Lingnan school in future poems, hoping to create an emotional connection between Latin American readers and this land.
Author | Jiang Chang
Photos | Nanfang Plus
