This paper examines the significant contribution of Professor Wu Cuncun’s recent edition and annotation of Sancaifu (All Goes Well for Three Talented Friends), a mid-Qing Kunqu Chuanqi opera in Wu dialect. As the only known copy, retrieved from Russian State Library in Moscow in 2016, Sancaifu represents a valuable rediscovery of lost Chinese classical literature. We analyze Wu’s meticulous editing process, her investigation into the opera’s authorship, and her exploration of its underlying civilian consciousness. This work is contextualized within the broader history of overseas rediscovery of Chinese classics, which we divide into two main periods: the 1920s-1930s and the post-reform era. The paper highlights how Wu’s work continues the tradition of scholars like Xiang Da (向达), who pioneered the study of Dunhuang documents in Europe and the Catholic historical texts from the Qing Dynasty in the former stage. In the latter stage, contemporary scholars have expanded this field, conducting research in Western Europe, Vietnam, Russia, the United States, and Australia.The author argues that such overseas rediscoveries have profound implications for Chinese studies, including initiating new fields like Dunhuang studies; advancing maritime history research; enhancing the study of Christianity in China; deepening understanding of folk literature and opera. These efforts are not only essential to understanding China’s cultural exchanges with the world but also provide crucial insights into global history.