Having grown up in an ethnically Chinese household in Canada, I’ve always loved learning about the history of Chinese migration to North America. When I was in Xiamen, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there is actually a museum dedicated to this topic.
I already knew that the majority of Overseas Chinese originated from Guangdong province but I had no idea that Xiamen was also a huge supplier of immigrants to Western countries.
One of the first things I noticed that was very interesting is that the museum’s website lists the name of the museum using traditional Chinese characters, instead of the simplified characters that are in use in China today. Traditional characters are only in use in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and in the West where all of the former Chinese residents have migrated. When the Communist party took control in 1949, the writing system was changed shortly afterwards to use simplified characters instead of traditional. I wondered if the traditional characters was to show respect for the thousands of Overseas Chinese who had donated to this museum.
The museum was quite large and covered a lot of ground. They even had an entire section dedicated to migration to Canada, which was very interesting for me.
The museum did a good job of focusing on what the daily lives of the Overseas Chinese were like during the initial stages of migration. I agreed with most of what was on display. Obviously, it’s now changed significantly, but it is a great reminder of how the first generation of Chinese immigrants lived in order to give their future generations a better life.
The museum is a great way to enjoy an afternoon if you have an interest in early Chinese migration.
Overseas Chinese Museum 華僑博物院
Address: 493 Siming S Rd, Siming, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, 361005
Phone:+86 592 208 5345
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