@freddychongffc: 27.6.2026 - 3.15pm - 6.15pm Watched Dear You (给阿嬷的情书) with my parents, son and nephew at TGV Cinemas, VivaCity Megamall, Kuching, Sarawak, this afternoon. Dear You is a touching film about qiaopi (侨批)—the remittance letters sent by overseas Chinese to their families back in China. It tells a moving story of love, sacrifice, kindness and responsibility across generations. Set in the 1940s, Zheng Musheng left his hometown in Chaoshan for Nanyang to escape the war, leaving behind his wife, Ye Shurou, and their three young children. After arriving in Malaya, he later moved to Thailand, where he met Xie Nanzhi. When Musheng tragically died, Nanzhi chose to continue sending money and letters to his wife in China in his name. For 18 years, she faithfully supported a family she had never met, even sending food and a bicycle. She kept a beautiful secret so that another family could continue to live with hope. The most touching scene comes at the end, when the two elderly women finally meet in Thailand. Suffering from dementia, Nanzhi gently asks, "Are you Sister Shurou? Was the salted pork I sent you delicious?" Such a simple question carries a lifetime of love, care and sacrifice. After the movie, I heard some young people behind me talking about qiaopi. It seemed they had never heard of it before. For many Chinese families in Southeast Asia, however, qiaopi was once an important part of family life. It was more than just sending money—it carried love, hope and news from far away. During our ancestral village visit to Hepo, Jiexi County, Jieyang, Guangdong, China, in 2023 with my parents and son, our relatives confirmed that my late grandfather had sent many qiaopi back to our ancestral home. That made this movie even more meaningful to me. Today, qiaopi belongs to history. We now have WeChat, RedNote, TikTok and many other apps that allow us to stay connected instantly. But they can never fully replace the warmth and emotions found in handwritten letters. As a born-and-bred Malaysian Chinese, my identity is clear. I am Malaysian first, and a Chinese Malaysian with ancestral roots in Hepo, Jiexi County, Jieyang, Guangdong, China. Dear You is more than just a movie. It is a heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices of the overseas Chinese community and the enduring power of family love. I highly recommend it.

Freddy

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Region: MY

Saturday 27 June 2026 14:08:47 GMT