Overseas Chinese are awarded certificates for their donation of archival sources to the Yueqing Archives on Nov 17. [Photo/tmuyun.com]
Some 30 government officials, experts and overseas Chinese from Yueqing gathered at the Qinghe Library in Yueqing, a county-level city administered by Wenzhou, for a cultural roots activity on Nov 17.
Overseas Chinese representatives have been donating their private archival sources to the Yueqing Archives, including 811 physical and electronic documents from 44 individuals and 10 groups since 2021.
"The cultural roots activities organized by Yueqing have led to a niche way to help locals and their descendants living overseas better understand their hometown and contribute to local development in the future," said Lin Xixu, vice-president of the Yueqing Association in Hong Kong.
Trees and books have also played pivotal roles in helping Yueqing preserve its cultural roots.
In 2015, the city launched a tree planting initiative that gained support from 72 Yueqing native families living in 21 countries across the globe. They planted a total of 542 larch trees at the local Qinghe Park.
In 2016, the Yueqing Library reserved a special room for books donated by Yueqing natives living overseas. The library now boasts a collection of over 1,100 books, of which 108 were written by donors.
Tree planting, book donation, and archive collection epitomize Yueqing's efforts to preserve its cultural roots.
