Taiwanese folks visit the mainland: culture stirs homesickness

Luoyang, 4 Apr (ZXS) -- Topic: Visiting the mainland by fellow villagers from eastern Taiwan in the United States: Culture stirs up homesickness

Written by Kan Li

The 27-member delegation of Taiwan villagers in the eastern region of the United States ended its visit to the ancient capital Luoyang on the afternoon of the 18th and went to another ancient city, Xi'an, to continue its 18-day cultural journey.

The delegation, headed by Ma Difan, the 40th president of the National Taiwan Hometown Association, and Chen Yongmao, president of the Boston Branch of the National Taiwan Friendship Association, began its trip on the 13th, and successively went to Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing and other places to visit ancient cities, ancient capitals, museums, cultural sites, etc.

On April 4, a delegation of Taiwan villagers from the eastern region of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots visited Luoyang, Henan Province. Photo by China News Agency reporter Kan Li

Strong cultural elements run through the whole visit.

The first stop of the visit is located in Anyang, Henan Province, with Yin Wu and Oracle Bone Script as the main line, exploring the rise and fall of the Yin Shang Dynasty 3,000 years ago, as well as the origin of Chinese writing and the development of bronze handicrafts.

In Oracle's hometown, Taiwan compatriot Huang Dingchang, who has traveled back and forth to the mainland dozens of times, pointed to the "ding" character in the name of the badge and said, "Thank you to the tour guide for explaining my name dozens of times", Ding is not only a "rice pot", but also a symbolic ceremonial vessel.

On the bus to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, Chen Shilian, who was sitting in the back row, was a little busy, flipping through the photos in the camera while writing and drawing in his notebook. After retiring, he developed a habit of documenting travels.

In the past ten years, every time Chen Shilian has visited the mainland, he has recorded the great changes in various places and the scenic spots he has visited.

On April 4, the delegation of Taiwan villagers in the eastern region of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots visited the Hakka Source Memorial Hall in Luoyang. Photo by China News Agency reporter Kan Li

After visiting the ancient capital Kaifeng and the Songshan Shaolin Temple, Chen Shilian told reporters, "Why is Kaifeng a stacked city? Do Shaolin warrior monks fly off walls? I connected the noun in my mind with the real scene."

Lin Liming was the only member of the delegation who had not been to the mainland before. Whether it was in ancient temples or visiting natural landscapes, he asked more than other members.

"Although I didn't understand it deeply, I was already very surprised by my husband." Lin Liming's wife Yu Xiaoyu has been to the mainland many times and has a strong interest in traditional culture, she hopes to go to Henan often in the future to deeply and meticulously understand the culture of the Central Plains, "after seeing the Yin Wu, I found that the archaeological work in China was very good."

Lin Liming plans to go to his ancestral hometown of Fujian next time to find roots. When the reporter mentioned that the Lin family's ancestral roots were in Weihui City, Henan, he repeatedly asked about the authenticity of this information, "Did the surname Lin really originate in Henan?" I will definitely check it out when I have the opportunity."

At the Luoyang Hakka Source Memorial Hall, Su Yixiong, who called himself "Luoyang son-in-law", became deeply interested in the saying "where do the guests come from, Luoyang Daguguan", "When I was a child, my mother often said that we were from Heluo, and after reading the information of the memorial, I estimated that my ancestors may be related to the Hakka."

Su Yixiong's wife was born in Luoyang and grew up in Taipei. He told reporters that his wife and the Hakka family have a dance group, and this visit, "she took a lot of videos to share with the group friends."

During the six days of visiting Henan, the members of the delegation greatly appreciated the importance attached to the protection and inheritance of traditional culture in various places. Chen Yongmao told reporters that the strong cultural atmosphere shocked the villagers, but they did not expect that the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization was so completely preserved in the Central Plains. (End)