Tales of the Distant Past: The Story of Hong Kong and the Chinese Diaspora (A Tribute from the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals of Hong Kong)

The Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles opens a new exhibit on Hong Kong's role in the Chinese diaspora.

The Tales of the Distant Past is an exhibition that will explore the Chinese diaspora. Did you know over 50 million Chinese are currently living in more than 136 countries?  This exhibit will showcase Hong Kong’s role as the transportation hub in this global emigration and the humanitarian work of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) worldwide.

Although China has had a long history of emigration, a significant wave occurred during the late 19th century. More than 2 million Chinese laborers boarded ships and braved the waters across the Pacific Ocean to seek their fortune elsewhere. Unfortunately, many of these laborers passed away while overseas and their families were desperate for their remains to be returned back home. Tung Wah Group of Hospitals stepped in and helped facilitate the collection and return of the deceased laborers for repatriation back to China. The organization also assisted in the collection and transfer of money of the deceased to their relatives in China.  TWGHs was not just a hospital, but a trusted philanthropic organization that helped all emigrants worldwide. Artifacts and documents will portray what life was like for these early emigrants and how TWGHs assisted them and their families back home in China.