Yang Jing'en, a student from the Philippine Cultural College Caloocan Campus, has garnered acclaim for her heartfelt Chinese writing. This includes a first prize in the Creative Melody of Chinese essay competition, an honorable mention in the Wang Jinhua Chinese School Student Writing Contest and a merit award in the 2024 Chinese-Filipino Filial Piety Essay Competition. With heartfelt words, she embodies how Gen Z Chinese youth who live overseas are reconnecting with their cultural roots.

Yang Jing'en's writing wins her acclaim. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

Yang's writing is winning her acclaim. In the Creative Melody of Chinese competition, Yang penned an essay titled "Loyalty undying, faith everlasting". This paid tribute to the courage and conviction of the Chinese People's Volunteers Army on the Korean battlefield during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950–1953), also known as the Korean War. "The 2021 film The Battle at Lake Changjin was a major source of inspiration for me," she said. "This competition provided an opportunity to reflect on history through writing," Yang added.

In 2024, Yang once again received recognition for her essay "Passing on the culture of filial piety", which was awarded to her in a nonfiction essay contest focused on filial piety. The piece recounts how three generations of her family connect emotionally through the tradition of making dumplings. "Filial piety is a cultural gene embedded in the veins of the Chinese nation and a part of my earliest family memories," she wrote, "The love of parents and the gratitude of children create a bond of mutual affection that keeps a family warm and closely bonded."

Yang Jing'en's writing wins her acclaim. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

Yang's parents hail from Jinjiang city in East China's Fujian province. They moved to the Philippines in their youth to study and start a business, embodying the Minnan or southern Fujian spirit of "no struggle, no success". "They often say, 'Wherever you go, never forget where you came from,'" Yang recalled. That spirit of perseverance and staying true to one's roots has deeply influenced Yang's values and aspirations, becoming a quiet yet enduring source of her strength.

For the Yang family, cultural heritage lives not only in beliefs, but also in everyday life. Despite living abroad, they have continued to uphold traditional customs from southern Fujian: Pasting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, making red rice cakes and frying sesame jian dui or glutinous rice balls for Lunar New Year. "These familiar flavors and rituals ground me in Chinese culture and connect me to my hometown," she said, "Each festive taste reminds me that I haven't drifted too far".

During the summer and Christmas holidays, Yang returns with her parents to visit relatives in Jinjiang, Fujian province. Compared with the hustle and bustle of urban life, she finds her hometown more serene, genuine and filled with heartfelt warmth. "Each visit touches me deeply," she said, "The down-to-earth charm of Jinjiang reminds me that home is not just a spot on the map — it's where the heart finds peace."

To Yang, writing in Chinese is more than a skill — it is a form of emotional expression and cultural continuity. She described her habit of collecting impactful phrases and poetry: "I like to jot down Chinese lines that move me. They're like puzzle pieces that form the foundation of my writing, helping me express myself more precisely." Sincerity, she believes, is key. "My teacher often says that writing is not a performance — it's an act of expression."

Now a high school graduate, Yang is preparing her application to Jinan University in South China's Guangdong province. "I hope to pursue in-depth studies in Chinese language and traditional culture, improve my abilities and one day contribute to the cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines," she said.