On the morning of 2011February 12, Mr. Zeng, senior vice president of Far East National Bank in Silicon Valley, California, and his uncle and aunt, accompanied by Lin, deputy director of Longyan Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Hu Kechang and Lu, director of Zhangzhou Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, made a special trip to Taiping Village, Xiayang Town, Yongding County to find their roots.
As soon as Zeng and his party got off the bus, they went straight to visit the newly rebuilt, magnificent, elegant and resplendent Zengjia Temple, and took a group photo with the inscription of Ceng Xianzi, a famous Hong Kong philanthropist and "Iron King". Zeng Jingsheng, then chairman of Xiayang Town Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and Zeng Xian, the stationmaster of Zeng clan, introduced them to Taiping Village and Zeng Family Temple. Vice President Zeng's desire to seek roots and recognize ancestors is even more urgent. Vice President was the ninth generation Hakka family who moved to Taiwan Province. Now he has settled in America. According to the previous generation, his ancestral home was in Yongding, Li Jinfeng. The leaders of Longyan Overseas Chinese Affairs Office have targeted the root-seeking in Xiayang Taiping Village.
After lunch, Vice President Zeng and his party went to Zhenguang Building, the ancestral home of Zeng, the former president of Hakka Association in Singapore, to look for genealogy. But in front of the thick genealogy, the relatives of the Zeng family are hard to find, because the only clue that Vice President Zeng can provide is "originally from Zhongliao Township, Nantou County, Taiwan Province Province". Teacher Zeng Qinghua, who is familiar with genealogy, has just visited relatives in Taiwan Province Province. Everyone felt empty and guilty, and didn't know what to do. Vice President Zeng's expression is also quite helpless.
The stationmaster Zeng said, "Let's look for it first." But after watching it carefully for a long time, I still found nothing and was silent. Suddenly, the author got excited: "I found it. This is Zeng Yanchong. You see, he went to Zhongliao Village in Taiwan Province Province to open a foundation. " Everybody come here. I took my family tree and pointed out the "character description" about Zeng Yanchong to Vice President Zeng. Vice President Zeng smiled happily, took out his camera and photographed page 696. Director Lin of the Municipal Overseas Chinese Affairs Office calculated algebra for him, and finally determined that Vice President Zeng should be the 22nd generation of Taiping Village. Director Lin joked, "Chairman Zeng called you brother just now, and now you want to call him uncle. Chairman Zeng is the constitutional generation of 2 1. " Everyone laughed. Master Zeng smiled and said, "Yes, we Hakkas all say' Big Brother, Little Uncle'." Vice President Zeng's heart finally fell to the ground.
Vice President Zeng and his party then visited Lezhen Temple in Taiping Village. I explained to him how the statue of Lezhen Temple was brought to Zhongliao Village in Taiwan Province Province by Zeng Yanchong during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, and was interpreted by believers as the history of Yin Linzu. They saw photos of believers in Zhongliao Village 15 returning to the ancestral temple of Lezhen Temple in Taiping Village, and presented banners and plaques, further confirming that Taiping Village is the ancestral root of Zeng.
Unexpectedly, Vice President Zeng sent a fax letter after returning to the United States on March 9, saying that after contacting relatives in Taiwan Province Province, the information from his first ancestor to his great-grandfather Zeng Tao was: the first generation was 13 ancestor Zeng () → 14 ancestor Zeng → 15 ancestor Zeng → 16 ancestor. Vice President Zeng asked Mr. Zeng Xianlai, the stationmaster of Zeng Xianlai, to help search the genealogy of Zeng again to see if there was any information about Mr. Zeng's ancestor Zeng (yu zhang) who came to Taiwan.
We were surprised when we received the fax. Due to the rush of time, our inquiry was not detailed enough, which caused the data to be disconnected. The author first sent a letter of apology to Vice President Zeng.
It is believed that stationmaster Zeng and others searched again and finally found that the13rd generation Ganshan Fangzeng in the Zeng family tree of Taiping Village was consistent with the information provided by Vice President Zeng. Zeng Yunguan in the spectrum records: "Man, Yan, and spectrum note moved to Maowushu, Changhua County, Taiwan, and gave birth to four sons, named Zhenlong ... The spectrum points out that the names of 234 children are unknown. However, after President Zeng's ancestors moved to Taiwan, they first moved to Erliao, Maoshulin, Changhua County. Was it ever related to Zhongliao Township, Nantou County, Taiwan Province? Where was Zeng's birthplace? Because Mr. Zeng didn't bring his genealogy when he returned to Taiping Village last time, many questions haunted us and we are still at a loss.
In order to solve some mysteries, the author sent an inquiry email to Vice President Zeng:
"Hello, Mr. Zeng! Your fax has been shown to me by Chairman Zeng Jingsheng and Director Zeng Xianlai. Last time you went back to your hometown to find your roots, we thought you were from Nantou County, Taiwan Province Province. Because of the rush of time, we didn't ask you about your original place of residence in Taiwan Province Province. We deeply regret that after you returned to the United States, the information obtained by contacting your relatives in Taiwan Province did not match the information provided by us. According to your letter, Zeng's relatives searched again and finally found that the information provided by Gan Shanfang 13 in Taiping Village was consistent with yours. Zeng Yun has four sons, only the eldest son is famous in the dragon spectrum, and the second, third and fourth sons are unknown. " According to Zeng Pu, he moved to Maowushu Erliao, Changhua County, Taiwan, but his eldest son Zhenlong never returned to the mainland. At present, the name, algebra and the word "dragon" in 14 generation are all the same, and you can basically determine that your branch is Zeng of Taiping Village. Of course, you can also contact your ancestral relatives to find out whether your place of residence is "Maowu Shuerliao, Changhua County" and other information, and finally determine your ancestral home ... "
On March 30th, the author finally received an email from Vice President Zeng, which was like a ray of bright sunshine, dispelling the fog in our hearts. The full text of the email is as follows:
Editor-in-Chief Hu Saibiao: Hello! The email you sent has been received, please don't read it! With the assistance of Chairman Zeng Jingxing and the stationmaster Zeng Xianlai, and with the efforts of Zeng's clansmen, I found the records of Ganshanfang 13 Zeng Yunguan in Taiping Village in the genealogy, and confirmed that it was the first ancestor to come to Taiwan after checking with the clansmen in Taiwan Province. In Taiwan Province's genealogy, it is recorded that the ancestors came from Taipingzhai, Li Jinfeng, and that the ancestors of generation 13 had four sons, in the order of Zhenlong, Longteng, Genglong and Chen Long. This record is also consistent with Zeng's genealogy in Taiping Village, Xiayang Town. As for the information of Maowushu Erliao in Changhua County, I will check the genealogy for verification when I return to Taiwan Province next time.
I was born in Taichung County, Taiwan Province Province, and my great-grandfather and his brother lived in Tai Po Cuo, Tanzi Township. Later, my great-grandfather went to Zhongliao Township, Nantou County to buy forests and build houses. Now the house is gone. 1999 moved to work in Silicon Valley, California.
Why should I seek the root? But my father once copied a family tree. I saw it once more than 30 years ago and lost it when I moved. When my late father was alive, every year Tomb-Sweeping Day asked our brothers to accompany him to pay homage to his ancestors and remember their legacy. When I visited the grave, I saw the inscription of Yongding or Lu on the tombstone, which was branded in my heart since I was a child. Then when I was studying at school, I read about Zeng Shen's filial piety and life. Zeng Shen is recorded as the distant ancestor of the Zeng family in the genealogy of the Zeng family. The tradition of the Zeng family is "cautiously pursuing the distance and thinking about the source when drinking water". When I was in college, my late father also joined the Taiwan Province Zeng clan association. Under the influence of my late father, I have always been interested in where our ancestors came from.
In February of this year, I was lucky enough to go to Taiping Village, Xiayang Town to find out what happened. I finally got what I wanted, and I felt indescribable joy in my heart. Finally, please convey my deep gratitude to several officials of Longyan Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Chairman Zeng Jingxing, webmaster Zeng Xianlai and all relatives and friends who helped me find my roots. I wish you peace!
? Once sent?
? 20 1 1 Mar. 30th, 2008
From Vice President Zeng's reply, we can roughly sort out the migration route of his ancestors: Yongding Taiping Village → Maowushu in Changhua County → Tanzi Township in Taichung County → Zhongliao Township in Nantou County (great grandfather Ceng Tao).
More importantly, in his letter, Mr. Zeng revealed China's traditional culture of "pursuing the distant place cautiously and thinking about the source by drinking water". Through his father's subtle words and deeds, such as copying genealogy, offering sacrifices to ancestors, carving ancestral land, and promoting filial piety, it is deeply rooted in Mr. Zeng's young mind and transformed into a cultural complex and root-seeking action of missing ancestors.
A few days later, Vice President Zeng confirmed in his reply to Zeng Jingsheng that he was the grandson of Zeng Jiagan Shanfang 2 1 generation in Taiping Village. Since then, the vice president of California has returned to Taiping Village, Xiayang Town, Yongding County, Fujian Province. After many twists and turns, he finally drew a perfect ending.