President of Perak Huizhou Association Donates Valuable Overseas Chinese Historical Materials to Huiyang

A yellowed old certificate, a mottled tin mining tool—these objects bear witness to a generation’s journeys, struggles, and hopes.

Recently, a donation ceremony filled with deep hometown affection was held at the Huiyang District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports in Huizhou City. Dato’ Lee Chee How, president of the Perak Huizhou Association in Malaysia, led a delegation back to his hometown Huiyang, and donated a batch of precious overseas Chinese historical objects and documentary materials free of charge. These tangible relics are engraved with the stories of Huiyang compatriots striving overseas, and fill a tangible gap in the study of Huiyang’s emigrant culture.

Among the donated items, the 'Xi Liulang' tin-washing tool holds important historical value. This tool was prevalent during the peak of Malaysia's tin mining industry from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries and was a vital livelihood tool for Huiyang migrant women at the time. Braving the sun and rain, and working for years in water, these women supported their families in foreign lands with their modest strength. As the local tin mining industry declined, the 'Xi Liulang' craft has disappeared, making the surviving tools irreplaceable relics of history.

Also donated was a 1947 'Overseas Chinese Registration Certificate' issued by the then Consulate General of the Republic of China in Ipoh, registered to Mr. Lee Chee How’s mother, Madam Ren Yuchan. This certificate, which has weathered over seventy years, is not only tangible proof of Huiyang compatriots taking root in Nanyang, but also a classic case of private memories being transformed into public cultural heritage.

At the donation ceremony, the Huiyang District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports presented a donation certificate to the Perak Huizhou Association, and both sides exchanged commemorative gifts. “Huiyang is the root and soul of us overseas Huizhou descendants,” said Lee Chee How in his speech. He stated that the Perak Huizhou Association is committed to preserving the cultural fabric of the hometown and strengthening ties between the two places, hoping that these old artifacts will help younger generations appreciate the perseverance and sincerity of their forebears.

According to reports, Huiyang District will next focus on the scientific preservation and meticulous exhibition of these precious historical materials, encourage these relics to 'speak their stories,' and further deepen cooperation with Malaysian Huiyang descendants in fields such as culture, tourism, economy, youth exchanges, and overseas Chinese history research—writing a new chapter in the friendship between China and Malaysia.