This winter, we have received numerous stories from "Cantonese people".
On November 21, Nanfang Daily, Nanfang Plus, and GDToday jointly launched the second season of the video solicitation activity "Back to Guangdong- 'Snap' a Ticket to Guangdong". The activity attracted over a hundred Cantonese overseas Chinese from around the world. In front of the camera, they shared their own or their families' overseas experiences and expressed their longing and anticipation for their hometown, Guangdong.
Liang Qingming, the third generation of Chinese in Malaysia, originally from Guangning County, Zhaoqing City, GuangdongProvince. His grandfather, in the 1930s, left his hometown and traveled across the seas to Sabah, Malaysia, where he settled down and started a new life.
"Besides my ancestral home Guangning, Guangdong,I've visited many cities in Guangdong,such as Shantou, Meizhou, and Huizhou. My first impression of Guangdongwas that it was extremely prosperous," Liang Qingming recalled. As a businessman, he attends the Canton Fair almost every year to seek business opportunities. "This platform has been very helpful to me and other Malaysian businessmen."
"I want to give the Canton Fair a thumbs up!" Liang Qingming gave a thumbs-up in the video. "I also urge overseas Chinese from around the world to visit Guangdongmore often."
Besides the endless opportunities, what also attracts overseas Chinese is the familiar and comforting dialect.
"For me, Cantonese is not only a language but also contains many fond memories of my childhood." "I often hear familiar Cantonese when walking the streets of Toronto. This makes me, who studied in Guangdong,feel very close"
The simple warmth of life is the most comforting.
Lei er (pseudonym), who lives in Toronto, Canada, often goes for morning tea with her friends. She said, "Enjoying a sip of tea and a bite of pastry while chatting about recent stories brings me immense peace, even though I'm in a foreign country."
Dazhi (pseudonym), who resides in New York, USA, cannot forget the taste of Cantonese claypot rice with preserved meat. The crispy rice crust's aroma and the preserved meat's savoury flavour always comfort him. "When a steaming hot clay pot rice is served, tasting it fills me with warmth, making the world seem quiet," Dazhi said.
Guangdongis also a strong support for overseas Chinese to strive hard.
"The spirit of Guangdongpeople, who face difficulties head-on regardless of how tough the situation is, fuels my determination to keep moving forward," said Chen Min (pseudonym), a girl from Jiangmen, Guangdong,studying overseas.
Didi (pseudonym), who is also studying overseas, deeply agrees. "In my studies, I often feel the fighting spirit of Cantonese people, which inspires me to maintain a positive attitude, bravely face challenges, and pursue becoming a better me no matter what difficulties I encounter," she said.
People are bound by their hometown ties, and Guangdongis the name of our homeland. After more than a month of video collections and broadcasts, the second season of the video solicitation activity "Guangdong,the Name of Our Homeland - 'Snap' a Ticket to Guangdong"officially concludes today. Across mountains and seas, the stories of overseas Chinese still continue. Please stay tuned for more information about the activity as we bring you closer to Cantonese overseas Chinese, sharing more about their efforts and struggles and feeling their homesickness and expectations.