The team visits Mingxi county to investigate the local conditions and sentiments of overseas Chinese communities. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

The China-Hungary Country and Region Studies Center research team from Sanming University's School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) conducted a field research visit to Mingxi county, Sanming city, Fujian province, on March 14. Recognised as a "new overseas Chinese hometown in inland Fujian", Mingxi was the focus of the team's investigation into the local conditions and sentiments of overseas Chinese communities.

Accompanying the team was Wen Yuqiang, vice-chairman of the Sanming Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, who provided valuable guidance throughout the visit.

The research team visited two key sites: the Overseas Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall and the traditional ancient village of Xiaojiashan. These visits enabled the systematic collection of empirical data on overseas Chinese affairs, establishing a robust foundation for the development of the proposed China-Hungary Country and Region Studies Center.

At the Overseas Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall, Wen and the team carefully examined historical materials documenting the transnational entrepreneurial journeys of Mingxi's overseas Chinese residents. The hall's exhibits — including passports, remittance letters, old photographs, and other artefacts — offer invaluable primary sources for studying the history of people-to-people exchanges between China and Hungary. Such resources are essential for advancing country and regional studies as an emerging interdisciplinary field.

These historical traces, bridging continents and oceans, illustrate the perseverance of Mingxi's people in contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative. They also highlight the distinctive role of people-to-people diplomacy in fostering mutual learning between Chinese and Hungarian cultures, presenting a compelling "Sanming model" for narrating the stories of overseas Chinese in the new era.

The team in Xiaojiashan village drew on both its overseas Chinese heritage and its natural resources. The researchers examined the village's Ming and Qing dynasties' (1368-1911) architecture and its intangible cultural heritage, including traditional porcelain mending techniques and the "Chubby Lion Dance", through in-depth interviews with village officials and the relatives of overseas Chinese residents.

The team documented key aspects, including rural depopulation trends, the current circumstances of remaining overseas Chinese relatives, and the persistence of folk cultural activities in overseas Chinese hometowns. Xiaojiashan is leveraging its ecological advantages, such as being the "source of three streams", to support its economy. By promoting bird-watching and forest-based wellness industries, the village is emerging as a model for rural vitalization in overseas Chinese hometowns.

This research initiative is a concrete step toward implementing the cooperation framework between Sanming University and the Sanming Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Both sides agreed to make Mingxi county a regular observation base for overseas Chinese affairs. This will allow for periodic follow-up surveys and the creation of a comprehensive "three-in-one" service system that includes archive development, academic research, and policy consultation.

By clarifying the baseline situation of overseas Chinese communities, identifying hometown resources, and distilling best practices in overseas Chinese affairs, this study will contribute to the university's disciplinary development and talent cultivation. It will also help cultivate distinctive research strengths in the China-Hungary Country and Region Studies Center within the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages). Furthermore, it will provide intellectual support to Sanming in advancing its opening-up efforts and addressing contemporary overseas Chinese issues, thereby achieving mutual empowerment between academic research and social service.

The team plans to employ oral history methodologies to conduct in-depth interviews with early Mingxi overseas Chinese migrants in Hungary. Additional activities include a targeted survey of overseas Chinese investment in hometowns in the European Investment Fair, further enhancement of the Mingxi overseas Chinese affairs database, and continuous monitoring of the implementation of Xiaojiashan's "Ecological Revitalization in Overseas Chinese Hometowns" model. These efforts aim to translate research findings into practical, real-world benefits.

Huang Jufen and Mohammad Saiyedul Islam are teachers, researchers, and members of the China-Hungary Country and Region Studies Center at Sanming University's School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages).

The team visits Mingxi county, a "new overseas Chinese hometown in inland Fujian". [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

The team conduct a field research visit to Mingxi county on March 14. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

The Overseas Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall in Mingxi county. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

The Overseas Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall boasts lots of invaluable historical materials. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]