Filipino demonstrators gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Manila, the Philippine's capital, on Friday to commemorate the victims of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery, commonly referred to as "comfort women," seeking justice for these victims, and opposing war and military expansion.
The protesters, including family members of sexual slavery victims and civil society members, urged the Philippine government to expedite the passage of a bill designating August 14 as the national Memorial Day for "Comfort Women."
In 2012, the 11th Asian Alliance Conference for "Comfort Women" designated August 14 as the International Memorial Day for "Comfort Women."
An estimated 200,000 women from China and many others from the Korean Peninsula, the Philippines, Indonesia and some other countries, euphemistically known as "comfort women", were forced into sexual servitude by Japanese troops. Many of them died.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, an estimated 1,000 Filipino women were forcibly conscripted as "comfort women."
Protest in Manila commemorates victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery
"Dear You", a 2026 Chinese film about the historic diaspora experience of people from the Chaoshan region of south China's Guangdong Province, has resonated well with Chinese communities around the globe as it screens overseas, with many audience members making trips back to their hometowns after watching it.
The movie, known in Chinese as "Love Letters to Grandma," centers on remittance letters, or qiaopi, used by overseas Chinese to stay connected with their families back home, particularly in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong. Through these letters, the characters uncover memories, love and interconnected family bonds in a simple yet deeply genuine narrative.
Xiao Ke, an overseas Chinese in the UK, remembers clearly Dear You's European premiere back in June. All 200-plus seats at London's Regent Street Cinema sold out quickly.
"It was a room full of sobbing. It really touches those of us abroad. After watching, we couldn't wait to return to our hometown, to the places we knew as children, to see how things have changed there," Xiao said.
Xiao booked his trip home soon after watching the movie. He landed in Guangdong's Shantou City alongside his old friend Zhao Wensheng, who has lived in Norway for nearly 40 years.
Zhao was particularly touched by the movie's portrayal of qiaopi.
"I've watched it five times," Zhao said. "And each time I felt different. My grandfather and many relatives were in Southeast Asia. When we were young, we really relied on the older generation's qiaopi. Later on we worked hard to make money and we also sent money back home."
The pair headed straight to Shantou's Small Park district, where they were born. They expressed great joy about once again tasting the street snacks they once had as children — rice cakes, oyster omelettes and fried tofu.
"After so many years abroad, what we miss most is the taste of home. In the old days Chaoshan snacks were tucked into every neighborhood. Now they're better built and more centralized, making it much easier for overseas Chinese returning to trace their roots," Xiao said.
"It's the taste of childhood. We want to return to your roots as we get older. I have a nostalgic attachment to my hometown, so I'm planning to open an art gallery here," Zhao said.
A 40 minute-drive away, the Qifeng Chen Ancestral Hall in Shantou's Dongli Town has seen a surge in visitors, many from Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Indonesia. The century-old building served as the filming location for Dear You.
"My whole trip this time was focused on watching Dear You. My maternal grandparents are from here. Our roots are here," said Chen Lili, an overseas Chinese from Indonesia.
Dear You has put Shantou on the tourist map so far this summer, with root-tracing tours opened one after another. The city's Chaoshan History and Culture Expo Center saw batches of Chinese teenagers from the United States, Russia, and other countries coming to learn about the history of qiaopi and experiencing the traditional culture.
Data from travel booking site Qunar show that after the film's release, air passengers to Shantou from Malaysia rose 67 percent year-on-year, with significant increases from Singapore and Thailand as well.
"Dear You" movie screening leads to tickets home among overseas Chinese
