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History and Culture

Explore Wuyi culture and traditions through cultural practices, festivals, and rites such as Chinese New Year celebrations, ancestor worship, and other traditional customs celebrated by Wuyi families

World map showing the global routes of the 19th-century coolie trade from Asia and the Pacific to the Americas and Caribbean.
History and Culture

The Coolie Trade and Early Migration Patterns (1840–1874)

The mid-19th century marked a dark yet transformative period in Chinese migration history, dominated by the global coolie trade (苦力贸易). Tens of thousands of laborers, predominantly from Guangdong’s Taishan, Xinhui, and Enping counties, were swept into this exploitative system. Between 1840 and 1874, over 200,000 Chinese workers were shipped to destinations such as Peru, Cuba,…
April 9, 20250Comments

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A weathered grave marker bearing Chinese inscriptions stands amidst snow-covered fields, marking the resting place of Mrs. Wong Kim—a testament to the enduring legacy of Montana’s Chinese pioneers
History and Culture

Ghosts of Gold Mountain: Grave-Sweeping Rituals and the Resilience of Montana’s Chinese Railroad Workers

Between 1865 and 1890, over 1,200 Chinese laborers worked on Montana’s railroads, including the Northern Pacific Railway. Most were young men from Taishan and Kaiping in Guangdong’s Wuyi region, recruited through clan networks to replace Irish crews deemed too costly. These men left their families behind, hoping to earn enough to send money home or…
April 6, 20250Comments

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Historical photo of Sun Yat-Sen seated at a table reading in Guangzhou, showcasing his dedication to learning and revolutionary ideals.
History and Culture

I Am Sun Yat-Sen The Father of Modern China: Roots of Struggle – Part 1

\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn my lifetime, I\u2019ve had over thirty names. In the United States, people called me Sun Yat-sen; in Japan, most referred to me as Sun Wen. After the Xinhai Revolution, my comrades honored me with the name Sun Zhongshan. At home, my family called me Sun Dixiang\u2014a name steeped in superstition, supposedly because a fortune-teller…
March 11, 20250Comments

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