Nick’s Paternal Grandfather’s Village in Zhongshan
July 4, 2018
We started the day by visiting the Jiangmen Wuyi Museum of Overseas Chinese, which commemorates the experiences and contributions of ethnic Chinese around the globe. As we toured the exhibits, I was reminded of the deep rooted history that has shaped my own Chinese American identity. I thought about how when I was growing up, we never really learned about Chinese American history in school. We seemed to be left out of U.S. history textbooks, but I know Chinese people in America were pioneers, leaders and heroes too. I left the museum with a deeper understanding of my place in the context of this legacy.
As I reflected on the hardships and triumphs of those men and women before me, I thought about how my own family’s immigration from China to Hong Kong to the U.S. fits into the historical narrative of struggle, resistance, and growth. We’re all seeking the same things: peace, love, and prosperity. You see me wearing my quintessential Chinese colored red and gold San Francisco 49ers hat. You probably know that the Niners derive from the Gold Rush era, when many left China for opportunities in America, just like my family members did throughout the 20th Century. My paternal grandfather’s (Yeh Yeh’s) dad settled in Susanville, CA where he herded cows for a living. He returned to Zhongshan once he saved enough money to build a house, which is the same home I visited today.
I was surprised by how developed and massive the “village” was. Apparently there are over 5,000 people living in this area of Zhongshan now. I imagine it’s quite different than how my Yeh Yeh remembers it because there are lots of shops and cars driving by. Relatives still own the home but another family is currently renting it. I initially felt like I was intruding on their personal space, but I was reassured that the tenant was glad I returned to see where my Yeh Yeh grew up. They even kept my ancestral altar in place, so I was able to pay my respects there.
This was a bit more brief compared to my rooting in Hoiping, where I had alone time to give offerings to my ancestors. Honestly, I didn’t feel as strong a connection to this house in Zhongshan as I did to my Paw Paw’s old home in Hoiping, because her house seemed to be like a time capsule. Nobody lived there and it was filled with dusty old things, so I imagined it was more similar to what it must’ve looked like when she lived there. There were even some pictures of her brothers on an old dresser. Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity to revisit the place where my Yeh Yeh lived. I got to go up to the second level of the home where his room was. The ceilings of the house were very high compared to other ancestral homes we’ve visited, which I learned was characteristic of houses in this area.
On the other hand, three of my relatives greeted me in the village, which made me feel more at home. I think everyone was a little confused about proper titles, but family is family, and I felt the strong bond immediately. Some of them visited my Yeh Yeh in San Francisco within the past few years, so they had recent photos of me and my family. I was surprised because they even whipped out a couple baby pictures of mine. That was sweet. After touring the house, we walked over to the recently renovated 120-year-old ancestral hall.
This is where generations of family are honored. My branch of the family genealogy is inscribed and hung on the wall. As a 25th generation Lau, I was humbled by the thought of all that history behind my family. As I paid my respects to my ancestors, I thanked them for giving me power and watching over me every day. I thanked them for their sacrifices, bravery, and hard work, which have given me and future generations a foundation to live on. I was then gifted a copy of my family genealogy book, which I’ll bring back to my Yeh Yeh. He’ll probably laugh at me for not being able to read it, but it will give him an opportunity to explain more of our history to me. I know he’ll be happy that I have a better understanding of where we come from.
After paying my respects at the ancestral hall, we went to a nearby temple dedicated to a Taoist Water God, Bok Eye. Al mentioned it was constructed without any nails or mortar, but had been standing for over 400 years. I was excited because I happened to visit Marysville, CA during the annual Bok Kai parade (aka Bomb Day), where the locals pay tribute to the same deity to protect against flooding. It was pretty cool to come across this temple in my Ye Ye’s village because now I have more appreciation for traditions that have traversed the globe.
After the temple, I left the group to spend time with my family. They brought me back to their apartment to hangout before dinner. I was forced to try to speak Cantonese because my niece left for a couple hours, so I couldn’t rely on her to translate for me. I got by with what I know, but I was convinced to pick it back up. We shared more family photos and they fed me a bunch of snacks. I didn’t want to get too full before dinner, but they kept the bananas, grapes, guava, dragon fruit, dried blueberries, seeds, and cookies coming. I just couldn’t refuse. I didn’t want to be rude so I just stuffed myself. Then we went out to eat some more and I got to meet other family members. They kept saying, “Welcome back.” Although we had never met before, the love was apparent. I am glad we made this connection. Before they dropped me off at the hotel, they let me know I had a place to stay whenever I want to visit again. I’ll definitely be back, hopefully with my parents and sis sometime soon.