Reuniting roots: Pohyi (far left) with her family in Luoding.
IN Chinese culture, the proverb “血浓于水” – like the English idiom “blood is thicker than water” – carries deep significance.
This adage holds true for my family, who, after two decades of separation, recently rediscovered our long-lost kin.
It is a story one might expect in fiction or drama, yet it unfolded in my own life.
The story began in the 19th century when my great-grandfather left Luoding, China, for Seremban. Like many Chinese immigrants to the Malay Peninsula, he remarried after settling in the new land.
Despite the distance, he dutifully sent a portion of his earnings each month to his wife and two sons in Luoding.
Tragically, he passed away young, leaving behind his new wife and two sons, one of whom was my grandfather, who was later abandoned.
Raised by an adoptive family, my grandfather thrived. Two decades later, he returned to Luoding in search of his brothers, but was unable to reunite with them before his death. As a Gen Z city kid influeced by Western culture, I nearly forgot my roots – until one day, a detective contacted my uncles on Facebook with an old photo and handwritten letter. The detective revealed that he had found the information at the Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou. Upon closer inspection, my uncles recognised the handwriting as my grandfather’s.
In no time, they shared this news with our family, sparking a flurry of activity as everyone scrambled to uncover the dusty archives of our family tree.
After reaching out to our relatives in Luoding, we made a trip there in March this year. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a red banner with printed words on the wall, and a ceremony in line with the local customs.
I was deeply moved by their hospitality – they even covered our expenses during our stay.
The next day, they took us to visit our ancestors’ tomb in conjunction with the Qing Ming festival. It was an eye-opening experience for me as a city-born kid.
Never in my life had I climbed an unexplored hill with no proper stairs, taking nearly an hour to reach the tomb. To my surprise, I had to climb to two more tombs, a challenging task for me at the front of the line, with others waiting as I climbed slowly.
The seven-day trip in Luoding truly changed my perspective on family relationships. Despite being geographically separated, our kinship remains strong.
My uncles in Luoding spent nearly half of their lives searching for their lost family in Malaysia. If you are on a similar journey to find your lost family, don’t give up! There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
Pohyi, 18, a student in Johor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
