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Silverware used by Chinese living in the South Pacific area. [Global Times]

In stark contrast to the exhibits revealing the painful experiences of some overseas Chinese, an array of materials documenting the success of others is also on display. A gramophone dating back more than 100 years is part of the museum's exhibition, believed to belong to a Chinese family in Canada, providing a clue to the lifestyle of wealthy Chinese abroad. The old machine still works well even after such a long time.

A bunch of letters by an overseas Chinese named Hu Libin written from the 1920s to 1950s is also very interesting. The letters not only show his deep love for his family, but also his concerns about China's fate during the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-45) and the birth of New China.

"You can even find something interesting through the envelopes,"commented Wang, pointing out that on an envelope of a letter written after October 1949, the writer added the word "New China" before the address that had not changed for decades.

"No one asked him to do that and we guess that he just added these words with joy," Wang said.

As one of the largest hometowns of Chinese people who leave to work overseas, Guangdong Province has seen generation after generation follow Chinese explorer Zheng He's marine expeditions to "the Western Oceans." Zheng made his voyages during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and now there are more than 20 million overseas Chinese who have emigrated from Guangdong, according to Lei Yulan, deputy governor of Guangdong Province.

"Through the museum we hope to build an intact document on the history of overseas Chinese and encourage people here to inherit their spirit," Lei said.

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