Besides sailing south to Southeast Asia like Ning Xiangyu and traveling west like Wang Qingfu, Shandong people also ventured east to Japan and went north (to northeast China and Russia). The exhibition displays qiaopi from each of these four migration routes. Qu Na, a librarian at the Jinan Library, explains that Shandong qiaopi have distinctive regional characteristics. "The covers of Shandong qiaopi rarely show remittance information. Sending money was not the primary purpose, and it was common for letters to be sent 'without money.' The letters carry a much stronger bond of family affection." As this reporter observed, some qiaopi simply reassure parents of the sender's safety, while others advise children to think twice before acting, not to listen to slander, and to read more books. "Beyond money, Shandong qiaopi commonly contained physical goods—daily necessities, food, and tools of production—reflecting the overseas Chinese's support for their hometown relatives' basic living needs during times of material scarcity."

　　In addition, compared with traditional major hometowns of overseas Chinese such as Guangdong and Fujian, the number of overseas Chinese from Shandong and the total volume of their remittances were relatively small, making it difficult to sustain dedicated qiaopi agencies. As a result, no specialized agencies handling qiaopi business ever took shape in Shandong; instead, commercial firms dealing in other businesses forwarded the letters on the side.

　　Some of the qiaopi on display also reflect the stories of overseas Chinese who donated remittances or physical goods during the Xinhai Revolution and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, generously opening their wallets.

　　无限工作室&齐迹工作室联合出品

　　策划：王静