China News Service, Nanjing, March 12 (Reporter Zhu Xiaoying) 121 family letters spanning nearly half a century and recording the separation and gathering of three generations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait were put on display at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Nanjing on the 12th.

　　On the eve of the Qingming Festival in 2023, Wang Sheng, secretary-general of the Shanghai branch of the "Four Elephants and Eight Cows" Descendants Association in Nanxun, Zhejiang Province, rushed to Nanjing with his son and daughter-in-law and donated 121 family letters carefully wrapped in red rope to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

After a year of compilation, these cross-strait letters were researched, classified, archived, and exhibited to the outside world for the first time through physical and digital means.

On March 12, the opening ceremony of the "Cross-Strait Book Exhibition - Wang Sheng and Wang Xiangyu Donors' Book Exhibition" was held at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Nanjing.

The picture shows Wang Sheng’s son Wang Xiangyu (right) and Mei Ning, director of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, at the opening ceremony.

Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Bo

　　"Before my grandma died, she called me to the bedside and said, 'Xiao Zhen (Wang Sheng's nickname), I'm afraid I won't be able to see your uncle. I have entrusted you with something. If I can see your uncle in the future, tell him. , His mother was thinking about him before she died.'" Wang Sheng choked up during the opening ceremony that day: "Grandma, I was only 12 years old when you left, and now I have gray hair. I have the best family letters. My final destination has been explained to you."

　　Wang Sheng's eldest uncle, Wang Deyuan, went to Taiwan to pursue a career in his early years. For nearly half a century, three generations of the family exchanged letters between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, intermittent due to the current situation and other factors.

　　"Be diligent, cautious, trustworthy and sincere, don't exaggerate, don't waste, save money for use." "Pray silently twice a day in the morning and evening, wishing your parents health and safety." The words are short but the love is long, and the true feelings between the lines are revealed. The younger generation's sincere teachings on improving their studies and career development; some younger generations also share with their elders the joy of starting a family, starting a business, and having children, as well as the ups and downs of life, and more importantly, the endless concerns and longings between relatives.

The "Cross-Strait Letters - A Collection of Wang Sheng's Family Letters" consisting of 121 family letters has been compiled into a volume.

Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Bo

　　In 1987, after the Taiwan authorities allowed people to visit relatives on the mainland, Wang Deyuan's son Wang Weixin rushed to Shanghai in 1989 to recognize his ancestors and reunite with Wang Sheng's grandfather, Wang Zixiang, who had just celebrated his 90th birthday.

"My cousin knelt down when he walked outside the house, bowed step by step, and cried: 'Grandpa, I came to see you on behalf of my father.'" Wang Sheng recalled that a few months after Wang Weixin returned to Taiwan, Wang Zixiang passed away peacefully. , he met his grandson on the other side of the river during his lifetime, which filled a major regret in his life.

　　"It's hard to separate the geese across the strait, and time never changes people's hearts. The family letters contain the pain of missing each other, the feeling of concern, and the expectation of reunion. They also represent the common emotions of thousands of families on both sides of the Taiwan Strait." Wang Sheng told a reporter from China News Service that his grandfather After his death, members of the Wang family who live on both sides of the Taiwan Strait still maintain close contact.

Today, 121 family letters have permanently settled in the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, allowing more compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to see the true meaning of "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

(over)