The legend of China people emigrating overseas began in the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, but the history can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. In 124 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established exchanges between China and the West. For a long time, messengers and people came and went every year, ranging from hundreds to hundreds. China has opened up maritime traffic with Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka since the Han Dynasty. Due to overseas trade, China businessmen and sailors began to emigrate to Southeast Asia, and some of them settled down and became the first generation of overseas immigrants.

During the Tang Dynasty, the number of people living abroad in China increased gradually. Many foreigners call overseas Chinese "Tangren" and overseas Chinese return to China as "Tangshan". During the Song and Yuan Dynasties after the 10 century, especially in Fujian and Guangdong, many people went abroad to make a living.