Yang Yuening wins third place in the Let's Speak Hokkien competition. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

"Hokkien is the language I grew up with — it has always felt like home to me," said Yang Yuening, a student at the Philippine Cultural College Caloocan Campus, located in Caloocan city in Metro Manila, in the Philippines.

Her fluent delivery and heartfelt expression earned her third place in the Let's Speak Hokkien competition, which was held in the state of Penang in Malaysia.

The experience remains vivid in Yang's memory. After two intense rounds, she advanced to the finals and drew a challenging question: "What measures should be prioritized to preserve the culture and identity of the Hokkien-speaking community in the Philippines?"

She said: "Hokkien is more than just a language; it carries the memory of a place and connects generations of family".

On stage, Yang spoke about Hokkien as being a symbol of identity, a vessel for cultural transmission and a part of her everyday life, from chatting with friends to engaging in cultural events. Her speech was sincere and thoughtful, each word resonating with a quiet sense of belonging.

That moment also sparked a deeper reflection on what "home" really means. "Hokkien is the language I share with my family — it's how I understand the meaning of home," she said.

Though born and raised in the Philippines, Yang sees East China's Fujian province as being integral to her ancestral roots. Her grandfather left  Fujian to build a new life overseas, but her family has preserved many local Minnan traditions: Holiday offerings, making zongzi or sticky rice dumplings, eating red rice cakes and speaking Hokkien.

"Hokkien is everywhere at home. My elders always speak it. That familiar tone, it's something that makes me feel safe and close," she said.

Yang Yuening loves Hokkien, which gives her a sense of belonging. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

Years ago, she traveled with her parents to visit relatives in Jinjiang city in Fujian province. The narrow alleys, Minnan street food, red bricks and carved stones and the authentic accents of her relatives gave her a deep and sudden sense of realization: "So, this is where I'm from. "

That quiet comfort was something no modern city could ever replace.

Aside from speaking Hokkien, Yang also expresses her cultural identity through writing.

Her essay A Journey Through Poetry won her first prize in the Global Chinese Student Essay Competition. The piece follows a poetic journey through Jiangnan, a region in southeastern China known for its riverside towns and classical landscapes. There, she paints scenes of misty villages, wine flags and river towns.

"I love how poetry captures emotions so simply. It makes me feel deeply connected," she said.

To Yang, Mandarin and Hokkien are not in conflict, they coexist. "Mandarin connects me to the wider world. Hokkien reminds me where I come from," she said.

That's why she eagerly takes part in all kinds of cultural contests and events. She believes that language isn't just learned, it's lived and culture isn't memorized; it's experienced.