Early spring in Lingnan, the hearts of overseas Chinese turn to home. On the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse in 2026, the Overseas Chinese Federation of Liwan District, Guangzhou, in conjunction with the Liwan District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Tourism and Sports, held the fourth "Overseas Chinese Celebrate the New Year with Beautiful Li Ma Leaping Flower Town Intangible Cultural Heritage" series of activities for overseas Chinese leaders and doctors to celebrate the New Year at home. This event focuses on the active inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, connecting characteristic scenes such as cooperation and development empowerment in the overseas Chinese community, water flower markets, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and discussions and exchanges. Overseas Chinese leaders, businessmen, overseas Chinese doctors, and representatives of overseas Chinese youth are invited to return to Liwan to meet for the Spring Festival, discuss the friendship between the hometown and the people, and discuss development plans together. On February 12th, the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation and overseas Chinese leaders and doctors celebrated the Chinese New Year with the empowerment of overseas Chinese gathering: Rongwan went out to sea together, awarded plaques and sent blessings to warm the hearts of overseas Chinese. A series of activities officially kicked off, including leaders of the Provincial and Municipal Overseas Chinese Federation, Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, overseas Chinese leaders and businessmen who came from overseas countries and Hong Kong, Macao and other places, honorary chairman advisors of Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, overseas Chinese doctors studying abroad, and young elites from the returned overseas Chinese community gathered together to launch the "Overseas Chinese Federation Five Continents Rongwan Going Out to Sea - Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development Empowerment Activity". In his speech, Bu Zhiqun, Chairman of the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, welcomed the Honorary Chairman Advisor of the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation and representatives of overseas Chinese leaders, overseas Chinese doctors, and overseas Chinese youth to "return home". He hoped that overseas Chinese would take this event as an opportunity to continue to serve as a bridge and link for Sino foreign exchanges, bring more international resources, high-quality projects, and high-end talents to Liwan, work together to promote deep exchanges and cooperation between Liwan and the world, and jointly write a brilliant chapter in the development of their hometown by the elite of the overseas Chinese community in the new era. With the help of the Overseas Chinese Federation, the Czech Guangdong Chamber of Commerce and the World Chinese Medical Culture Society have jointly established a Czech branch and held a signing ceremony for the "Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture into the Bay" cooperation framework agreement at the event site. This move will promote the international stage of traditional Chinese medicine culture. At the signing ceremony of the "Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture into the Overseas" cooperation framework agreement, leaders of the provincial, municipal, and district overseas Chinese federations awarded the "Liwan Overseas Chinese Home" plaque to the Czech Guangdong Chamber of Commerce and the Silicon Valley Science and Technology Association of the United States, and hired elites from the overseas Chinese community as the organizers of the "Liwan Overseas Chinese Home". This is a new position that the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation has expanded on the basis of building 12 "Overseas Chinese Homes" with overseas Chinese organizations last year, building a strong communication bridge between overseas Chinese and their ancestral countries. At the 11th Overseas Chinese Representative Conference in Liwan District, 20 honorary chairpersons and 88 domestic and foreign consultants were hired. The leaders of Liwan District and the person in charge of Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation presented appointment letters to the honorary chairman and consultant who returned home, expressing gratitude to overseas Chinese leaders and businessmen for their contributions to the work of Liwan Overseas Chinese Federation and the economic and social development of Liwan. Flower Market Tasting: Boating across Litchi Bay, New Year's Customs Nourish Overseas Chinese Memories As an important part of the event, overseas Chinese leaders were invited to attend the launch ceremony of the "2026 Guangzhou Water Flower Market". Provincial, municipal, and district leaders of overseas Chinese federations and overseas Chinese leaders were invited to take the stage to witness the official launch of the "2026 Guangzhou Water Flower Market". Celebrating the New Year with lion dance and melodious Cantonese music, the mascot of the 15th National Games shines with joy and vitality, showcasing the unique charm of the Guangfu New Year. Overseas Chinese leaders participated in the launch ceremony of the "2026 Guangzhou Water Flower Market". In addition to boarding a flower boat and boating in Lizhi Bay, they also experienced Xiguan New Year customs such as boiling oil pots and writing spring couplets on site. They checked in at the themed market, strolled through the five villages of Pantang, and regained their childhood charm amidst the abundant water and land flowers and human fireworks, immersing themselves in the unique atmosphere of "Guangzhou New Year? Flower City Flower Viewing". Overseas Chinese leaders take a flower boat to visit Lizhi Bay for a discussion and offer wisdom: Huixian Talks about Development, Overseas Chinese Community Promotes Prosperity. After that, the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation also joined forces with the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Youth Association to hold the "Exploring the New Look of Xiguan, Huizhou Talents, and Prosperous Liwan Plan" Overseas Chinese Leaders and Scholars Expo - the 2026 Chinese New Year Symposium for Overseas Chinese Leaders (Overseas Chinese Businessmen), Overseas Chinese Doctors, and Overseas Chinese Youth. Representatives of Overseas Chinese Leaders, Overseas Chinese Businessmen, and Overseas Chinese Doctors were invited to express their own opinions and speak freely, sharing overseas development experience with overseas Chinese youth backbone, providing suggestions for Liwan's industrial upgrading, cultural dissemination, and cooperation in the bay area. The on-site exchange atmosphere was lively. The leaders of Guangdong Overseas Chinese Federation and Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation also sent holiday greetings and New Year's greetings to overseas Chinese leaders who are returning home for the Chinese New Year. This condolence is a collective condolence of the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation's "Entering Overseas Chinese Families, Visiting Overseas Chinese Emotions, Warming Overseas Chinese Hearts" Spring Festival visit series activities. It is reported that in recent years, the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation has collaborated with 24 grassroots overseas Chinese organizations in the district to visit and comfort more than 200 representatives of key groups such as returning overseas Chinese, families of disadvantaged overseas Chinese, entrepreneurs in the overseas Chinese community, overseas Chinese leaders, and overseas Chinese doctors before the New Year. Over the past five years, more than 1000 people have been visited and comforted. The Provincial Federation of Overseas Chinese and the Liwan District Federation of Overseas Chinese extend their New Year greetings to overseas Chinese leaders: Congratulations on the "Five Sheep Cup" and the integration of culture and tourism. In addition to the first day of the event, this series of activities will continue until the end of February. The Liwan District Federation of Overseas Chinese has carefully planned multiple special New Year activities for overseas Chinese leaders and doctors returning home for the holiday. The final and carnival of the 32nd "Wuyang Cup" National Chess Championship will be held at Guangzhou Cultural Park from February 25th (9th day of the first lunar month) to March 2nd (14th day of the first lunar month). On February 25, Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation will organize representatives of overseas Chinese leaders to walk into the Guangzhou Cultural Park to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 "Wuyang Cup" Carnival, watch the lion wake-up, band performances, and the Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival) Lantern Festival, which is the first time to light up in the night tour, to experience the festival atmosphere of integrating intangible cultural heritage and modernity in the bright light and shade. On February 28th, the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, together with multiple departments, held a New Year's celebration for overseas Chinese? Chu Han Competition - Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Overseas Chinese Chess Exchange Activity invites overseas Chinese leaders and business representatives to enter the Baihua Theater of the Cultural Park to witness the 1v6 game exchange between Guangdong Hong Kong Macao chess masters and overseas Chinese chess friends and young chess players. Using chess as a bridge, we aim to build a communication platform for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao overseas Chinese community and inherit excellent traditional Chinese culture. Overseas Chinese Meet Beautiful Li: Unite Heart to Homeland, Embark on a New Journey of Development. This series of activities closely follows the theme of the "Daxiguan New Year" in Liwan, deeply integrating overseas Chinese affairs work with cultural, commercial, and sports development. It is not only a vivid practice of the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation to cultivate the advantages of "overseas Chinese" and do a good job in "overseas Chinese" articles, but also an important measure to promote the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and activate the new vitality of the old city. 2026 is the starting year of the 15th Five Year Plan and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the China Overseas Chinese Federation. Liwan is currently in a golden opportunity period for high-quality development, with key projects steadily advancing. The overseas Chinese community has great potential and achievements in Liwan. The Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation will continue to play a bridging role in gathering the hearts, wisdom, and strength of overseas Chinese, providing comprehensive guarantees for overseas Chinese to return home and start businesses, establish enterprises, and cooperate for development with thoughtful services. ”Bu Zhiqun, the chairman of the Liwan District Overseas Chinese Federation, stated that it aims to build the Liwan Overseas Chinese Federation into a trusted "home of unity, struggle, and warmth", so that overseas Chinese can feel a sense of warmth, success in entrepreneurship, and belonging in their development when they return home. (New Society)