A team led by Ning Yi, deputy director (acting director) of the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China, visited the Liem Sioe Liong Memorial Hall on 13 March. The visit was part of the team’s research tour to Fuqing aimed at studying the development of museums focusing on overseas Chinese as well as the preservation of overseas Chinese cultural heritage. 

Guided by docents, the team explored the four exhibition halls. Through photographs, videos, restored scenes and multimedia displays, the team gained a deeper understanding of the contributions made by overseas compatriots from Fuqing, represented by Mr. Liem Sioe Liong, to the reform, opening-up and socio-economic development of their hometown.

The team paused to examine the contents and artifacts displayed at the section “Ethnic Chinese Naturalized as Indonesians” in Hall 4. Showcased in the display case were five letters. They were penned in the 1990s by Mr. Liem Sioe Liong, then Chairman of the Prasetiya Mulya Foundation, to the Indonesian President. In these letters, he urged the issuance of policies to simplify the nationality application process for 200,000 stateless ethnic Chinese residing in Indonesia. These materials are extremely precious, serving as valuable physical evidence for the study of overseas Chinese, and they also reflect Mr. Liem Sioe Liong’s care and assistance for the Indonesian Chinese communities, said Ning Yi.

At the end of the tour, Ning Yi expressed that the visit to the Liem Sioe Liong Memorial Hall was deeply inspiring and he was moved by Mr. Liem’s legacy. He praised the Liem Sioe Liong Memorial Hall for its advanced exhibition technologies, vivid storytelling and precious historical materials, noting its exemplary development as a specialized museum dedicated to overseas Chinese figures. He emphasized the need for greater collaboration and interaction among overseas Chinese-themed museums to enhance the preservation and inheritance of overseas Chinese cultural heritage and to promote high-quality development in this field.

Following the visit, the team toured the lush Overseas Chinese Park. The research team was accompanied by Lin Zun, Director of the Cultural Exchange Department of the Fujian Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Chen Feng, Level II Researcher of the Fujian Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Lin Youping, Level I Chief Staff Member of the Fuzhou Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; and Zheng Guanghui, Chairman of the Fuqing Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.

Text: Lan Zhenhua

Photograph: Hong Ning