Taiwanese youth return to their hometown to pay homage to their ancestors through the "Little Three Links": blood and family ties will never be lost

　　China News Service, Fuzhou, April 4th: Taiwanese youths return to their hometowns to worship their ancestors through the "Little Three Links": blood and family ties will never be broken

　　China News Service reporter Yan Xu

　　Take the high-speed rail from Kaohsiung to Taipei, fly to Matsu, and then via the cross-strait "mini three links" route to Mawei Langqi, Fuzhou. This journey is less than 12 hours, but it took Taiwanese young man Chen Guanlin more than 20 years to muster the courage to walk out.

　　"Actually, when the 'Two Horses' (Mawei-Mazu) route was opened, I knew that this route would allow me to go home, but I didn't know how far and difficult this trip would be." Chen Guanlin told a reporter from China News Service. Since then, I have been thinking and thinking that I should go home and take a look, and this year I finally took action.

　　On the eve of this year’s Tomb-Sweeping Day, more and more people travel across the Taiwan Strait to pay homage to their ancestors, visit relatives and friends, and take short-distance trips. The cross-Strait “mini three links” passenger routes have also increased the number of flights between them since April 1.

On April 1, Taiwanese compatriots took the "Jishun No. 10" ship and arrived at Fuzhou Mawei Langqi Passenger Terminal to Taiwan. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Bin

　　In the waiting hall of the Mawei Langqi Passenger Terminal to Taiwan, the reporter happened to meet Chen Guanlin, who had finished a three-day trip to visit relatives and worship ancestors and was preparing to return to Taiwan via the Mawei Langqi-Mazu passenger route. The short three-day trip to Fuzhou left him with mixed feelings, and he firmly decided to bring his parents back to worship his ancestors during the Qingming Festival next year.

　　Chen Guanlin told reporters that his grandfather was a native of Chencuo Village, Yunlong, Langqi Town, Mawei. He was born in 1921 and came to Taiwan when he was 20 years old. Since then, he has been isolated from his hometown for more than 40 years. When Taiwan first opened up to mainland China to visit relatives, my grandparents were homesick and returned to Fuzhou, crossing the ocean and the journey was extremely arduous.

　　"My parents still had the impression of returning to their hometown, so they didn't dare to come back. When I came back this time, I found that it was a completely different world from what I heard from my grandfather." Chen Guanlin was particularly touched.

The picture shows Taiwanese young man Chen Guanlin (first from left) taking a group photo with his relatives in Fuzhou in front of the passenger inspection building at Mawei Langqi Ferry Terminal to Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Chen Guanlin

　　When his grandfather was alive, he loved to cook. Chen Guanlin grew up eating red pork, swallow balls, and oyster cakes, but he hasn't eaten them for more than 20 years since his grandfather passed away. What surprised and moved him was that when he returned to Fuzhou in the past few days, he actually tasted the familiar "hometown flavor" again, and "all the nostalgia for my grandfather came to my heart at once."

　　Chen Guanlin has traveled to the mainland many times, but this is the first time he returned to his hometown. He said that he was timid about being close to his hometown and was quite nervous when meeting his relatives for the first time. After chatting for a few words, he immediately felt like we were reunited after a long absence. "It was very warm and we had endless things to say to each other." Chen Bolin also made a video connection with his parents, asking them to say hello to brothers, sisters, uncles and uncles they had never met in their hometown, "Let's make an appointment to get together next year."

　　Chen Guanlin told reporters that he is the 36th generation descendant of the clan, and this time he is worshiping his ancestors from one or two hundred years ago. Together with the clan members, they bring offerings, clean the graveyard, weed and cultivate the soil, break off a pine branch, take it home and insert it at the door. They carefully trace the distance and recognize their ancestors, feeling like they have "finally found their roots".

　　When they returned to Taiwan, their relatives took Chen Guanlin to the Langqi Passenger Terminal, and his uncle took photos of them reluctant to leave. Chen Guanlin was deeply moved when he received the photo, "We are all connected by the same blood. In the past, we had to separate the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but the family ties will always be strong." (over)