It would be unfortunate if I didn’t make a trip to my mother’s hometown given that its only about 1 hour away from Shenzhen. So I decided to ride the bus to Houjie, Guangdong province. Houjie is a town that has now been absorbed into the metropolis of Dongguan. This area, and all of the Pearl River delta for that matter, is bustling with factories, companies, and trade. Houjie is known as a location with many clothing, shoe, and electronics factories. Given all the wealth and growth in Guangdong, its not surprising to see fancy eateries and hotels all around Houjie. Its also not surprising to see warehouses and factories all around the city as well. We were told that it has kind of a “party town” reputation too with a bar street bustling at night and also popular beach areas nearby. This reputation probably also brings with it “vice elements” as we could see many anti-drug signs posted in public areas. The level of wealth was amazing to see. Just look at the many BMWs, Audis, and Porsches on the streets. Although there is wealth in Guangdong, not everybody is wealthy. The population of Houjie has grown over the years just like many other places. There has been an influx of migrant workers from nearby provinces such as Hunan and Fujian. As a matter of fact, we met a pedicab driver who was from faraway Anhui province! My local relative mentioned that only 1 person out of 7 in Houjie is a native born resident.

I had arranged to meet an uncle who is very familiar with Houjie at the bus station. My uncle had to ride the bus from Guangzhou to Houjie and we arrived at about the same time. When I met up with my uncle I met some distant relatives such as his granddaughter and one of his relatives local to Houjie. We then drove thru the city to the old part of town. Our short drive brought us to Houjie’s old town where there still stands a small stone gazebo next to the tight alleyways and traditional homes. We took a couple of photos and then went on our way to an elementary school located in the older part of town. This school is special to my family because it houses a small memorial to honor my great-grandfather who dedicated his life to education in this town. He served as a school principal for a school in Houjie for 30 plus years. Because his school is not an active school today, my family established a memorial library several years ago at this newer school located near our ancestral home. Speaking of an ancestral home, the actual structure does not exist anymore. China has been developing fast. The land was needed for other developments and so the government had bought it from my family. Therefore, future visits to pay respect to ancestors will be made to the memorial at the elementary school rather than an actual home.

Nevertheless, it was interesting to come into the school and see the enthusiasm and curiosity of the children. I can now understand the pleasure my great-grandfather must have had in teaching and shaping these young minds. We met the current principal who talked about his challenges in bringing traditional Chinese calligraphy and other traditional arts into the curriculum. In today’s world, children are more apt to use computers and watch tv rather than spend time practicing traditional art forms. His philosophy is to ensure the children get at least 15 minutes of calligraphy practice everyday. Over time, that experience can add up to be quite significant thereby contributing to their skill level in such arts.

After our school visit, I spent some time at my relative’s home. We all enjoyed tea and chatted some. Later my relatives treated me to a special lunchtime treat. Houjie is known for its rice noodle soup. It is a true local speciality and really can’t be found anywhere else. It is called “Lai Fen” and the noodles resemble spaghetti but is a form of rice noodle. It is served in soup and topped with some green veggies and pieces of roasted goose or barbeque pork. I was very happy to be treated to an authentic local meal.

After lunch I had a chance to walk around the older streets to experience the local culture. The traditional brick and stone homes reminded me of other older cities. Homes are decorated with red paper decorations and citrus fruit trees. Many of the streets were actually more like narrow windy alleyways. People could be seen sitting outside their homes playing chess, chatting, or drinking tea. Although many of the buildings looked like they were in bad disrepair, you could see very intricate architectural elements such as carvings in the stone. Nearby was a park with many elderly folks sitting, playing chess, or mahjong. Overall, it seemed like a very traditional part of town.

This visit was special to me because I was able to see where my family came from. I love the USA. Its my home and it’s the only place I’ve ever really known. However, being in Houjie is different. Here, my family has history. People know my ancestors and the family name. My family’s culture, customs, and traditions need no explanation here. They just simply ARE. I believe I will come back whenever I have the chance to see the people and places familiar to my family’s past. Now enjoy the photos below. Click on any photo in this posting (including those embedded in the above text) to enlarge: