KUALA LUMPUR, October 31 — There are 46 days remaining before the opening of the 13th International Day of the Belt and Road (Silk Road Festival) and the Silk Road New Year Cultural Festival.
Chen Entian, direct grandson of revered hermit Chen Guangmei, and Daryl Tan, great-grandson of the patriotic overseas Chinese icon Tan Kah Kee, made a low-key visit to Kuala Lumpur. Attending as Co-Chairmen of the Southern Chen Clan General Association, the two took part in the 130th Anniversary Celebration of the Selangor Chen Clan Academy Association.
The Selangor Chen Clan Academy Association is an important and time-honoured Chen clan organisation in Nanyang. The 130th anniversary celebration gathered Chen clan representatives from across Nanyang. They commemorated the glorious journey of their forebears who ventured bravely to Nanyang and strived through hardship, and inherited the fine clan traditions of valuing education and standing by one another. As Co-Chairmen of the Southern Chen Clan General Association, Chen Entian and Daryl Tan exchanged views with clan representatives from various countries. They discussed the inheritance and development of the Nanyang Chen clan community, as well as the mission and responsibilities of clan associations in the new era.
The Southern Chen Clan General Association adopts the 16-character entrepreneurial spirit of the Nanyang Chen Clan — “Brave in innovation and hard work, steady and far-reaching in progress, united and supportive of one another, promote education and serve the nation” — as its core principle. It unites the new generation of local Chen entrepreneurs in Nanyang, and connects Chen clansmen who set sail for Nanyang in the new era. By pooling clan strength, they seek common development and create new achievements for the times.
According to the introduction, out of respect for Chen clan associations across Nanyang and to build an inclusive, consultative platform for clan cooperation, the Southern Chen Clan General Association plans to invite presidents of Chen Clan Associations from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and the Philippines to serve as Honorary Presidents. It will bring together clan leaders from all over Nanyang to jointly push forward exchanges and cooperation within the Nanyang Chen clan community.
For cultivating young talent, the Southern Chen Clan General Association plans to set up entrepreneurship training courses in Singapore for young clan members. The courses aim to foster a new generation of Chen entrepreneurs, carry forward the pioneering spirit of ancestors, empower young people in innovation and entrepreneurship, and sustain the original aspiration of the Nanyang Chen clan to promote education and serve the nation.
At the event, Chen clan representatives recalled the stories of their ancestors’ struggles in Nanyang. They talked about the century-old tradition of overseas Chinese settling down, building careers, repaying hometowns and establishing schools in Nanyang. They also shared the vision of overseas Chinese communities participating in people-to-people cultural exchanges and trade activities along the Silk Road, consolidating the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese, and advancing people-to-people connectivity among Nanyang overseas Chinese communities.
