More than 60 old qiaopi objects are displayed at the exhibition hall in Xiamen. [Photo by Wang Xieyun/sunnews.cn]

Qiaopi, which means letters, reports and account books resulting from communication between Chinese emigrants overseas and their families in China, was included in the Memory of the World Programme by the UNESCO in 2013.

The qiaopi exhibition hall, the first of its kind in Siming district, Xiamen, in East China's Fujian province, was launched Nov 24, displaying more than 60 old objects spanning more than 150 years.

The exhibits recording the livelihoods and activities of overseas Chinese in Asia, North America and Oceania, as well as the historic and cultural development of the countries they lived in during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Xiamen, which is referred to as a hometown of overseas Chinese, has been an international port for maritime trade since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The city has extremely high value for historical and cultural research on qiaopi.

In recent years, Siming district in Xiamen has made great efforts to preserve the Memory of the World, and has gathered experts and collectors to explore the rich historical, academic, cultural and economic value of qiaopi, with the aim of promoting the conservation of unique cultural heritages in China.