ANCESTRAL VILLAGE VISIT

At 89, Grandma has things on her mind that she needs to check off, it is her list of 'outstanding business'. A key item is to visit our ancestral shrine in the small township of Sam Shui, in Guangdong Province. What used to take 2.5 hours via dusty, unpaved roads is only an hour away from the centre of Guangzhou. The lovely tree lined roads with minimum traffic are replaced by super highways, with hazy, polluted air as backdrop. Welcome to the modernization of China.

The shrine is not really a shrine per se, but a large courtyard with plain, interconnecting buildings that sit on 2 acres of idyllic landscape including willow trees and a lotus pond. It was purposedly built almost 150 years ago when a Great-Great-Grand-Father of the Tang clan earned what is equivalent to '1st class honors' which brought much glory to our village. It was a super big deal then. He later commissioned a study cum library in his own name, a place where he could be left alone to think, and to write. Though run down, it miraculously survived the early years of the Communist regime, including the Cultural Revolution. My late Father, in his position as the eldest son and eldest grandson of the clan, took up the challenge of restoring this unique heritage structure 25 years ago on his retirement and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. After much fund raising and endless refurbishment it is now in excellent condition, a landmark that made the clan proud. The 4 procelain pictures at the front were of our forefathers, in Qing Dynasty garb, those on top were deceased descendents from the family tree, including Dad.

Together with elders from the Grandma ranks, plus cousins, we had a wonderful visit, catching up with all the Tangs who still live and work in the village and nearby. It is them who look after the place, which has become our 'virtual' ancestral shrine. I have been 'promoted' to Dad's position as the 1st son of the 1st born grandson, hence my candle-lighting and wine-pouring ceremonial role. I cannot help but feeling philosophical everytime I visit, the transient nature of life is evident everytime I make eye contact with my ancestors. One day I will be back in the fold, joining Dad and the others, right here at this shrine.