Xu Clan Members from Taiwan Return to Jiaoling to Trace Roots and Honor Ancestors

　　Oct 16(Taiwan.cn)—From October 9 to 10, a 32-member delegation from the Xu Clan Association of New Taipei City, Taiwan, and the Guo Xinggong Xu Clan Association returned to their ancestral home in Jiaoling for root-tracing, ancestor worship, and exchange activities. Long-separated clan relatives from both sides of the Taiwan Strait reunited, sharing the profound bond of common ancestry.

　　On October 10, a grand ancestor worship ceremony was held. Early that morning, the clan group from Taiwan traveled to Yanjishan for the memorial rite. At the roadside, a stone carving bears the three powerful characters “Yan Gui Lai,” meaning “Swallows Return Home.” The imagery of “Beneath Yanjishan, swallows return to their nests; wanderers come back to their homeland” touched everyone present. Dressed in proper ceremonial attire, the group ascended the mountain path step by step to the ancestral tomb and completed the worship ritual following traditional etiquette.

　　After the ceremony, the clansmen descended the mountain and visited the Xu Ancestral Hall and Dalu Bei Ancestral Shrine in succession. They paid homage to their forebears in accordance with rites, remembering the merits of their ancestors who pioneered and established their settlement.

　　This homecoming ancestor worship event of the Xu clan constitutes a cross-Strait journey to trace ancestral roots, as well as an emotional gathering bound by shared blood. The Taiwan Strait cannot sever kinship ties, nor can time dilute this rooted affection. Taking clan kinship as the link and hometown sentiment as the bridge, the event further deepened and enhanced the fellowship between compatriots across the Strait. It once again bears witness to the shared cultural heritage and blood connection between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.(Jointly reported by Taiwan.cn and the Taiwan Affairs Office of Meizhou)