I didn’t expect my recent article for CNA on going back to my ancestral home Gulao in Heshan, Guangdong to resonate with so many people. I am grateful for all the private messages that strangers dropped me and reconnected with some old friends and ex schoolmates now based in different cities in China.
Since the release of the movie “Dear You”, there has been a surge in interest for people to find their roots, lineage and heritage. Most of us who grew up in Singapore are 2nd- or 3rd-generation (in my case) Singaporeans, but our ancestors came from across different regions in China to “Nanyang” and settled in Southeast Asia.
My visit back to the hometown coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival in June where my dad had rallied the troops and convinced his sisters 86 and 92 to make their first trip back to the ancestral home.
I also reconnected with my ex-history teacher in Junior College, who offered to connect me to the chief historian at Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI), where my great-grandfather was one of their founding members and served on its council in 1906 (1st), 1908 (3rd) and 1914.
My grandpa was a polyglot. He spoke English, French, German, Cantonese and Mandarin. Here’s a beautiful cursive script of a letter he wrote in 1911 months before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, when he was around 7 or 8 years old. As I battle with my 6 year old over writing practice, I marvel at how meticulous and advanced my grandfather was. We are definitely measured by different standards these days – we got lazy as machines took over.
My grandmother was a strong maternal figure in my life and is so deeply missed. She was resilience personified, meticulous, fierce and a chain smoker (she started at 9!). Her wedding robe hangs in my living room – it’s a family heirloom and I am reminded of her everyday.
