How Qiaopi, a Forgotten Remittance Letter System of the Chinese Diaspora, Inspired a Hit Film

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]A low-budget Chaoshan dialect [music] film became an unexpected hit this May, moving millions to tears. Dear You, whose Chinese title translates [music] as Love Letters to Grandma, unfolds a story of decades of love and support hidden in the remittance letters, or Qiaopi. In an era before wire transfer and reliable mail, millions of [music] immigrants from China relied on these letters to carry both hard-earned cash and family updates back home. The money they sent helped raise children, funded the construction of village schools, >> [music] >> and even supported war efforts against foreign invaders. The service was run by trusted Chinese [music] remittance shops, whose agents helped write letters, seal cash inside, and carry them to the recipients across [music] the ocean, braving any journey. This private system lasted until the People's Bank of China stepped [music] in during the 1970s. After watching the film, many dug out long-forgotten letters from their own homes, and even tracked down professional Qiaopi writers who still compose letters for the [music] elderly.

[00:00:50]In 2013, the Qiaopi archives were officially inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register as a treasure of memories from [music] the first generation of overseas Chinese.