In July 2025, the fourth World Memory Heritage: Qiaopi Literary Competition concluded in Quanzhou city in Fujian province. Cai Qimin, a student from the Philippine Cultural College Caloocan Campus, won Third Prize in the overseas group with his short story A Letter of Struggle from Nanyang — standing out among more than 700 entries from around the world.

Cai, 19, was born in the Philippines to parents from Quanzhou. He returned to Fujian for primary school from first to fifth grade before going back to the Philippines. This cross-border experience not only strengthened his command of Chinese, but also nurtured a deep love of writing. "Learning Chinese is like solving a puzzle treasure hunt," he says. "Every time I read or write, I discover something new and delightful."

Cai performs in a recitation contest. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

It was this passion that enabled Cai to create a moving story for the Qiaopi competition. Qiaopi—which means letters sent across seas—carry the struggles of overseas Chinese, their longing for home and a profound sense of attachment to their homeland. In his story, Cai draws on the experiences of his father and several uncles, narrating the journey of a young man who loves painting, ventures overseas with the support of relatives and eventually embarks on an entrepreneurial path.

Recalling the inspiration for his award-winning work, Cai reflects on his childhood. While his parents worked in the Philippines, he lived with his grandparents. "Every time I received a letter from my father far away, I felt a rush of happiness," he said. "The letters were sometimes messy, sometimes crooked, but they brought a sense of comfort and reassurance," Cai added.

On one occasion, his father's business was damaged by a typhoon, yet the letter simply noted that he was safe. Cai's grandmother borrowed money from relatives to support him and wrote back: "We must not fear failure." This experience left a lasting impression on Cai and became one of the most touching parts of his story.

A Letter of Struggle from Nanyang not only portrays the hardships of life abroad, but is also imbued with a strong sense of homeland. Combined with youthful and vivid prose, the story distinguished itself in the competition. In today's fast-moving information age, young creators like Cai are using their pens to connect history and the future, writing their own narratives of homeland and identity.

Cai particularly enjoys writing in Chinese, drawn to its subtlety and nuance. His school's experimental program follows the same curriculum as Chinese high schools and he especially enjoys classical poetry: Chen Zi'ang's unfulfilled ambition, Li Bai's audacious extravagance in trading gold for wine and Su Shi's calm acceptance in A Raincoat in the Mist. "From the ancients, I have learned: when life is frustrating, write a poem first," he says. His favorite is Bai Juyi's The Song of the Pipa Player, which recounts his reflections as an exiled official in Jiangzhou upon hearing a pipa performance, empathizing with the musician as a fellow wanderer. Cai recalls that while living in the Philippines, hearing familiar melodies on the street would stop him in his tracks, evoking cherished childhood memories: "The streetlights glow yellow on my skin — isn't this another kind of 'autumn moon over the river'?"

Cai creates Spring Festival couplets at the Lunar New Year event. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

As a young member of the overseas Chinese community, Cai is actively passing on and sharing Chinese culture. He participates in cultural activities such as Manila's "Spring Festival Couplets Writing Event" and the recent "Silk Road Literary Journey" book exhibition. At these events, he writes on bookmarks and fans, hoping that more people can experience and appreciate Chinese culture through such initiatives.