Apart from indicating the massive population of the worldwide overseas Chinese community, this saying also points to the main method of transport used in the early days--travelling onboard a ship to wherever the tides and winds might carry it.
這句話除了說明海外華人的眾多外，也指出了早期華人外移的主要方式﹘﹘搭船逐浪，隨潮水風力而至。