The Chinese mainland's acclaimed film "Dear You" will be released in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, as well as China's Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions on Thursday.

Since its Chinese mainland release on April 30, the Chaoshan (Teochew)-dialect film has struck a deep chord with audiences via its tender emotional portrayal and heartfelt core storyline, grossing over 1.7 billion yuan (about 251 million U.S. dollars) at the box office to date.

The low-budget film, featuring a largely unknown cast, centers on the tradition of "qiaopi," letters and remittances sent home by earlier generations of overseas Chinese in the 19th and 20th centuries, which serves as the emotional thread linking the film's central characters.

For generations, people from the Chaoshan region in today's Guangdong and Fujian provinces left for Southeast Asia to escape war, poverty, and natural disasters in search of better fortunes. Between 1864 and 1911, nearly three million people departed the region, according to local customs records.

A special screening of the hit film was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday, moving many viewers to tears.

"The qiaopi culture truly carries the longing of many people living far from home. For people in the past, communication wasn't as convenient as it is now. All their longing and emotions for family were expressed in these letters. In just a few lines, there were deep feelings for their homeland and families. I was deeply touched. So, the qiaopi culture is indeed a very precious collective memory," said Chiew Choon Man, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia.

"Halfway through the movie, I couldn't help but shed tears. That's why this movie is so popular. Because it uses very simple filming techniques, yet it can deeply touch our hearts," said Lim Kah Hoe, curator of the Malaysian Chinese Museum.

"The film 'Dear You' will hit more than 100 cinemas across East and West Malaysia, with more than 500 screenings. It's worth watching, a very touching film," said Choon Kang Chiah, executive director of Mega Films Distribution, a leading independent movie distributor in Malaysia.

In 1979, qiaopi services were placed under the unified management of the Bank of China. In 2013, UNESCO added the Qiaopi archives to its Memory of the World Register.