Qiaopi: when letters held families together

《给阿嬷的情书》:揭秘侨批往事。

Round Table China

2026-05-27

23 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

How did Chinese migrants send money and messages home before phones or banks existed? They did not click send. Instead, they handed cash and letters to couriers who crossed the sea on faith alone. It was not fast, but it somehow worked. We're talking about Qiaopi, a forgotten system that connected families when nothing else could. / Would you take a lot more money for a lot more loneliness (14:25)? On the show: Steve, Yushan & Xingyu
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单集文稿 ...

  • Discussion keeps the world turning.

  • This is Round Table.

  • You're tuned into Round Table.

  • I'm Steve Hatherly today with Shingyu and Yushan.

  • Coming up, how did Chinese migrants send money and messages home before phones or banks?

  • Well, they did not click send.

  • They handed cash and letters to couriers who crossed the sea on faith alone.

  • And it wasn't fast, but it somehow worked.

  • Today we'll talk about Chao Pi, a forgotten system that connected families when nothing else could.

  • After that, here's a question.

  • Would you trade your weekends, your friends, and even your peace of mind

  • for a paycheck that triples your current salary?

  • A debate on lonely high-paying jobs has exploded across Chinese social media.

  • Thousands are sharing real stories—isolation, emotional burnout, crazy hours.

  • Is a fat bank account worth an empty life?

  • And now.

  • Long before instant messaging, online banking, or seen messages,

  • there was another system called Chao Pi, connecting families across oceans,

  • one built on trust, memory, homesickness, and sometimes pure luck.

  • Imagine carrying cash, secrets, heartbreak, family news,