Li Yihang (Middle) and Xiao Lin (Right) visit the Huaxia Film Museum in Rugao. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

A pair of Chinese American scholars, Li Yihang and Xiao Lin, have strengthened their ties with Rugao through a meaningful cultural donation, contributing a treasured collection of vintage film equipment and archival materials to the city's Huaxia Film Museum.

The donation, offered at no cost, preserves more than five decades of family memories while enriching the museum's collection of cinematic heritage.

Li earned his PhD in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University and spent nearly 20 years as a senior research and development manager at Bell Labs. He also served as executive dean of the Global Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Nanjing University.

Xiao graduated from the State University of New York and contributed to space systems research for NASA and wireless communications research at Bell Labs for two decades.

The couple's connection with Rugao began several years ago through an academic exchange. After hearing one of Li's lectures, officials from the Rugao Association for Science and Technology invited him to deliver talks to local entrepreneurs.

"I've lost count of how many times I've been here," Li said. "Rugao is truly a remarkable place."

The idea to donate their family's film collection emerged after the couple toured the Huaxia Film Museum. They were impressed by the museum's comprehensive capabilities in restoring aging film reels and converting them into digital formats, making it an ideal home for the materials they had preserved for decades.

Before making the full donation, they provided several reels for trial restoration. The high-quality results convinced them that the museum could both preserve the collection and make it accessible to future generations.

Today, the donated cameras, projectors and film archives are on permanent display at the Huaxia Film Museum. They are also used in exhibitions, film digitization demonstrations, and educational programs.