Reunion across the Taiwan Strait after 79 years

Zhu Lin (pseudonym), a resident of New Taipei City, Taiwan, had never imagined that she could fulfill her family's decades-old wish to trace their roots in the mainland in less than 12 hours, with the help of local authorities.

In late May, Zhu was invited to participate in the 11th Cross-Strait Folk Exchange Activity for Shennong Yandi Hometown in Gaoping, Shanxi province.

Gaoping is considered the hometown of the legendary Shennong Yandi, also known as the "Flame Emperor" or "Divine Farmer", a foundational deity and mythological ruler in ancient Chinese culture.

During the event, Zhu shared her late father-in-law's lifelong wish to find his long-lost relatives across the Taiwan Strait.

Zhu's father-in-law, Zhao Bin (pseudonym), died in Taiwan in 2012 at the age of 75. As a child, he had fled to Taiwan with his grandmother and father, enduring hardships along the way, including being deceived and losing family members. Although he eventually settled in Taiwan, he never stopped longing for his hometown. Before his death, his father repeatedly told him the names of their relatives and the address of their hometown.

On the morning of May 21, Zhu provided event staff with an old address in Pingyao county, Jinzhong city, where she said a relative named Hou Lanxiang (pseudonym) had once lived. The event organizers and the Gaoping Women's Federation immediately contacted the Jinzhong Taiwan Affairs Office and coordinated with public security authorities, township governments and women's federations at various levels to launch a search.

The search initially hit a roadblock. The old address was no longer valid, and police found no household registration record for anyone named "Hou Lanxiang" in the area.

The breakthrough came when Zhu produced a yellowed postcard bearing two clues: "East Street 43" and "Zhukeng township".

Local authorities confirmed that most residents in Zhukeng township share the surname Zhao, matching the family name of Zhu's father-in-law. After thorough verification, they identified Hou Lanxiang, a woman in her 90s, as the long-lost relative Zhu had been searching for.

Hou had lost her parents at an early age and was raised by her grandmother, who left for Fujian in 1947 with Hou's uncle, Zhao Bin's father. The grandmother promised to return within a year but never came back. For 79 years, Hou had waited for a reunion and longed to visit her grandmother's grave.

When she learned that relatives from Taiwan would come to see her on May 22, Hou dressed in a golden traditional Chinese coat and waited eagerly at her home in Pingyao, accompanied by more than a dozen family members.

When Zhu arrived with flowers, she held Hou's hands and said tearfully, "Auntie, I've come to see you on behalf of my father-in-law."

Hou nodded repeatedly and said, "Good, good, you're finally back home."

The two families shared a joyful reunion lunch, bringing an end to nearly eight decades of separation.

"I never imagined we'd find our relatives in less than 12 hours," Zhu said, expressing her gratitude to the local Taiwan affairs office, women's federation and everyone who helped with the search.

Zhu said she plans to return with her husband and mother-in-law to pay respects to their ancestors and hold a larger family reunion.

Shi Liyan (pseudonym), Hou's daughter, also hopes her relatives from Taiwan will visit the mainland more often.

The reunion is not an isolated case, but a vivid example of a growing trend of Taiwan residents crossing the Strait to search for their roots. With the convenience of the internet, people can now trace their family origins more quickly.

In June, 37-year-old Taiwan actor Li Qingtian (real name: Lin Dianzhang) posted a video on social media seeking help to find his roots based on an old, vague reference to a place called Huangwanggou in Chenghai county, Chaozhou prefecture. With the help of countless warmhearted mainland netizens, who quickly researched historical place names, browsed local historical materials and contacted local residents, Li located his ancestral home within two days.

When Li finally bowed and knelt at the Lin Family Temple in Chenghai, Shantou, Guangdong province, the scene touched the hearts of countless compatriots on both sides of the Strait.

On June 24, Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, responded to reporters' questions by saying that more Taiwan compatriots are welcome to find their ancestral temples, see their family genealogies, feel the warmth of home, pass on family affection, and work with mainland compatriots to protect and build a common home for the Chinese nation.