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Post by jasonauchising on Jun 6, 2012 13:41:03 GMT -5
Hello to all:
Glad to see everyone so helpful in searching for each other's roots. The spirit of the Cantonese people lives on across the world!
I am planning my first trip to my father's ancestral home town in Kaiping and with the following itinerary:
- Wednesday June 27: Depart Hong Kong in the late afternoon Arrive Kaiping and stay overnight -Thursday June 28: Tour the 'diaolou' and visit my for my ancestral village - Friday June 29 return to Hong Kong
I was wondering if anyone could help with the following:
1) Where can I find more information on transportation from HK to KP? I know there is a boat to Zhongshan followed by a bus but I'm not sure of the details. I am also aware of a bus that leaves from around Jordan in HK but not sure how to get tickets.
2) For accomodations I was thinking of staying at the Pan Tower International Hotel which is away from Kaiping City, or Wilson Hotel downtown and was wondering if anyone had any opinions
3) The address of my àlÏÂ/heung haa is:
é_ƽÊÐ - ³àË®æ‚ - ÌÁÃÀ¹Ü…^ - –|ºþÀï Hoy Ping Si / Chek Sui Zan/Dung Wu Lei
I can find ³àË®æ‚ (Chek Sui/Chishui) but if I search for the specific village on Google - –|ºþÀï (Dung Wu Lei or Dung Wu Chyun), it doesn't show up. Is anyone able to help me find a map or provide further details on where this would be?
4) I planned on arriving on my own and just paying a driver willing to take me around to the places I want. Is this realistic, and if not, would you be able to recommend someone to take me around?
Many thanks in advance,
…^Ö¾³É Jason Au Chi sing
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Post by laohuaqiao on Jun 6, 2012 14:08:35 GMT -5
Google maps coordinates " 22.146, 112.581" in Satellite view. It's just outside, northeast, of Chishui town.
How do I know this? Go to maps.baidu.com and search for 广东 江门市 开平 赤水镇 东湖
Actually it's closer to Taishan City than to Kaiping and there are hotels in Sanhe hot spring, not far away.
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Post by laohuaqiao on Jun 6, 2012 14:30:35 GMT -5
For comfort, I usually travel from HK /Kowloon 中港城码头 / 港澳码头 to Zhuhai Jiuzhou Seaport 珠海 九洲港 via high speed boat and then catch a bus from the port to Taishan. I think there are buses from Jiuzhou Seaport to Kaiping too.
Please post pictures of Donghu Li and especially of Chishui Town after you return.
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Post by jasonauchising on Jun 6, 2012 15:12:12 GMT -5
Laohuaqiao,
Many thanks for your quick reply. I would reply back in Chinese, but for some reason when I entered in traditional characters they did not show up properly.
Thanks for that route, I will keep your suggestions regarding the ferry in mind. I will also send links to my pictures for sure.
Finally, I speak fluent standard Cantonese (in HK style) and do not speak 'Hoy Ping Waa/Kaiping Hua' - should I encounter any language problems?
Jason Au Chi Sing Toronto, Canada
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Post by laohuaqiao on Jun 6, 2012 15:49:23 GMT -5
Jason, Except for the old, age 60+, people in the villages, everyone speaks and understands Cantonese. I think if you walk around Kaiping City, you'll hear more Cantonese spoken than Hoiping wah. Chinese border guards and custom officers are usually from the "north', they speak Mandarin.
The reason Chinese text comes out as garbage on these forum pages is the forum software by default recognizes only 8-bit Ascii texts, whereas Chinese characters are encoded in 16-bit codes. In order to post , so that any reader can see Chinese text you have to convert the text to Unicode, otherwise each reader must change his/her browser setting to the proper encoding, View menu -> Character Encoding -> Simplified/Traditional/Unicode.
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Post by Ah Gin on Jun 7, 2012 1:29:29 GMT -5
Jason,
As briefed by laohuaqiao, Cantonese is widely spoken in Kaiping City. At the village level, and indeed, older folks, Hoiping wah is the common language. Regarding where to stay, the Pan Tower is quite a reasonable place, with a good view. Perhaps the hotel can help to find a reliable taxi and driver to take you around. Just picking one out from the taxi rank is OK now a day, but I prefer to have the confidence of the hotel staff. Public transport is quite good also. Given that you speak Cantonese, you should have no problem at all.
From HK or Kowloon to Hoiping: the romantic days when one can catch a ferry from HK all the way to the nearest Hoiping port is no longer running I think. (I have not checked lately). Direct long distance coach is very convenient. Or as you prefer, a ferry to Zuhai then coach to Kiaping works as well. Just depends on what you like.
Find some roast goose, yellow eel earthern pot rice to eat. Don't hesitate to ask for good soup to soak up the burnt rice crust.
Good travelling.
Regards, Ah Gin
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Post by douglaslam on Jun 7, 2012 6:28:02 GMT -5
Jason,
One full day in Hoiping only? You're not doing the place justice. I have visited Hoiping twice in the last three years, I still want more. And I am not even from Sze Yup. I am going back again in November, amongst other things, to check out one of the Szeto villages.
In Hoiping you can do yum cha at all hours. There is so much on offer food-wise, special freshwater fish jook and sweet treat at night are just some of the attractions. There is also off the beaten track village home-style cooking. Everything is so affordable.
How about engaging the help of our esteemed member Henry's nephew as a local guide? He is thoroughly competent, knowledgeable, enthusiastic,and only charges a modest fee. He can make your stay a very memorable one. His name is Tan Shi Cheng, get in touch with member Henry for more details. Make the most of your short stay by spending a little extra. Douglas
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Post by jasonauchising on Jun 7, 2012 8:14:18 GMT -5
Again, just have to say how great this community is - thank you Ah Gin and Douglas. Ah Gin - I am likely going to take the bus direct to Kaiping: www.trans-island.com.hk/eng/index.htmlI am going to take the bus departing from Mongkok at 19:00, and spend the night. Do you think it is safe to take a taxi from Yi Ci Bus Station? 黃鱔飯 is definitely on my list of things to eat - who doesn't like 飯焦 anyway? Douglas - unfortunately I have to be back in Hong Kong for June 29. I am there for a sports competition and must be back by then to resume training. I hope this is just a first trip of many. I will try to get a flavour for the food as best as I can. Personally, I just want to get a flavour for the diaolou, but my main reason is to go back to the 鄉下, visit the schools and libraries that our family along with our Szeto relatives have sponsored over the year and visit our 祠堂. My grandfather died during the cultural revolution and in his honour (as well as in the honour of Cantonese) I recently set up a scholarship in his name at the University of Toronto; it's about time I went even for just a short little bit. I will get in contact with Henry as someone to help would be great. Jason
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Post by laohuaqiao on Jun 7, 2012 13:17:35 GMT -5
Jason, Getting out of the bus terminal, you will probably see a flock of motorcycles. If you don't have a lot of baggage and adventurous enough, then hop on one. If you want to take a taxi instead, look for taxi waiting area. According to maps, Wilson Hotel is only a few hundred meters from the bus station. My guess is 6 yuans for motorcycle ride and 10 yuans for a taxi. Again if you are traveling light, you can easily walk there. Douglaslam, in case you missed the connection, Jason's ancestral village is in the Chishui township, the same township where Linda Seto/Murak's father came from. The villages are about 2 km apart. Jason mentioned he has Szeto relatives. Jason, read recent posts by lmurak in siyigenealogy.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=names&action=display&thread=167 . It'll be fantastic if there is some relationship between your Szeto relatives and her father Seto Kai Yip 司徒啟葉 from 朝陽村 in 赤水.
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Post by Doug 周 on Jun 7, 2012 15:01:06 GMT -5
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Post by Ah Gin on Jun 7, 2012 15:48:11 GMT -5
Jason,
I think you sensed that members of this Forum are just as excited with the news that you are heading for your Ancestral Home. I am pretty confident that you will do more than OK in your visit. I have also taken the coach that you mentioned on your last post. Very convenient now a days. Yi Ci is a large bus interchange, thankfully not as large as say, a railway station in Guangzhou or Beijing, where there are more luggages than people, and there are undesirable elements waiting to take advantage of trusting travellers. Taking a taxi from Yi Ci statio should be OK. So is hailing a passing taxi. It's just that if you are going to use the taxi for the duration of your visit,I think you can negotiate a good price, and that's when I prefer to go through a trusted party such as the hotel staff.
I am sure you will experience the special feeling as you walk to your village. I did -- and I felt that I was going home. I guess I am fortunate as I have strong links with my clan organisation as well as close relatives. Having photos or other related documents about your ancestral family will certainly help in making connections with the local relatives. Good luck. But as Douglas says, "Just one day in Kaiping?".
Douglas: enjoy your Kaiping (and other towns) visit this northern Autumn. Envy you.
Regards, Ah Gin
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Post by jasonauchising on Aug 13, 2012 23:28:54 GMT -5
Hello everyone: It has been some time since my visit to Kaiping, but I have returned to the forum to provide an update. I arrived by bus at Kaiping slightly before midnight on Wednesday, June 27 and took a scooter taxi to the Wilson Hotel. It was my first time in the heart of Guangdong and my first experience in China with Cantonese being the language of choice. Mr. Tan, my interpreter and the driver (whose son is working in Toronto where I live) were great in speaking to me in Cantonese while helping me with interactions that required Kaipingese/Toisanese. In helping me negotiate with the elders in my ancestral village we were able to recover the missing parts of our family tree. We now have 27 generations accounted for, the greatest find from my trip. I saw my grandfather's old house, the ancestral temple, and had lunch with family in nearby Chishui. My Kaipingese roots have long been a mystery to me as my parents grew up in Hong Kong and we most readily identify with our Hong Kong roots. But it was invaluable to know that this is where the story began, at least for my father's side. I don't see myself going back any time soon - I never had that sense of having 'come home' - there were things that happened that I would rather not get into - but basically I was very glad to have Mr. Tan with me the whole way. Here is a link to my pictures - which show you my photographs of Dong Wu Lei and one cluster of diaolou. None of Chishui, unfortunately: plus.google.com/photos/101021804309163400781/albums/5774860028159014177?authkey=COWu4vr3_PHdPQJason
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Post by lachinatown on Aug 14, 2012 23:32:06 GMT -5
Excellent pictures Jason. Just love the architectural pictures and the details.
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Post by douglaslam on Aug 15, 2012 4:47:32 GMT -5
You travel in style: flying business class. It is desirable over a long haul sector.
When I went back to China in the 1970s, during the Cultural Revolution, I was ill at ease. I could not get out soon enough. Now, I can't get enough. The place will grow on you. It won't surprise me if you yearn to go back a little later.
Did you engage Henry's nephew to guide you? I met him in 2010., I might see him again for a little social in November.
Looking at your photos, I can see the village hall is down to the bare minimum, very spartan. This is Mao's legacy to us. He ordered ransacking and destruction of our cultural heritage. Many were turned into schools, workshops, and factories and returned to the villagers in appalling conditions. Unfortunately, this is what everyone can expect. The many village and ancestral halls I visited all suffered the same fate. Thanks a lot Mao.
Douglas
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Post by arthurchin on Sept 14, 2012 20:12:15 GMT -5
Hi there, Found my great grandfather house's in Kaiping official title deed. Visited it in April this. It is vacant and rundown, the roof even have collapsed. My grandfather and granduncle names are written as owners. As we are overseas Chinese born in Malaysia, can we transfer the property to our names. The official issue date of the deed is 1989 but the house was build before WW2. Any information with regards to the transfer is very much appreciated. Thank You Read more: siyigenealogy.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=culture&thread=1555&page=1#ixzz26UqR4paq
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