Denise Quay is an Australian Chinese of the third-generation. In January 2005, it's the first time Denise came back to China to try to find the hometown of her grandfather. She sucessfully found it with the help of the Guangdong Provincial and Taishan Municipal Overseas Chinese Affairs Offices. The following is a thank-you letter from Denise to Mr Liang and Ms. Tina Ye, two officers from Guangdong Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office who accompanied her during her root-searching in Taishan City.   

A most wonderful exciting and deeply satisfying time in my ancestors' villages

Dear Mr Liang and Tina,

I do apologise for being very remiss in not writing to you earlier to thank you both very much for all you did for us to make our recent visit to China so memorable. Because of your efforts I had a most wonderful,  exciting and deeply satisfying time and am so thrilled and pleased that I was able to locate and visit my ancestors? villages - especially after the trouble you went to  in locating them. I have been doing my family history for so long and it was just wonderful to see the places where my grandfathers and great grandfather lived - it gave me a better understanding of their lives and a connection with the homeland. I honestly thought I would never be able to go back any further than the records of immigration for my relatives. It is such an incredible feeling.

"The water of my hometown is so sweet!"

I was truly amazed at the amount of research and trouble you went to for me in such a short time - you were incredible. I did very much appreciate all the arrangements you made to make our itinerary fit in so much in so little time we were in Guangdong.

We will also fondly remember the superb banquets you gave us - I haven tasted such great food for a long time. You certainly ordered the very best for us! You looked after me so well that I did feel very spoilt - I think you treated me like an empress!

Denise and Tina are talking to a local villager.

Thank you too Mr Liang for the Confucius gift - it is a very happy reminder of your kindness and I will think of you all each time I use or look at it.

We very much enjoyed the sightseeing day at Seven Star Crags and Dinghu Mountain - the scenery was really breathtaking and so serene and peaceful. I really didn expect you to look after us so well and take us sightseeing. I mentioned those places as I was merely seeking advice as to whether it was possible to fit in all those activities in the time I had in Guangzhou. Thank you too for taking the time to find my grandfather's property - especillay as it was so late.

in front of Huang's family temple

I found all the villages very different. I was quite surprised to find Pak Shek so urbanized. From the maps I located (they were from 1900 and 1927) my impression was that it was small and isolated and very rural - but how wrong I was! Kam Shek was pretty much as I had envisioned although it was perhaps smaller than I had imagined.

Our visit to Arp Lay Tsui was also very profitable - I went inside the house that my grandfather, Sau Gin Fong/Kwong lived - it was such an overwhelming and  satisfying experience to retrace his life in that house. I couldn ocate the Sunday School that he built and there were no records about his irst wife but I took a picture from the exact same position from where my tep-grandmother sketched the village when she and my grandfather visited in 948 - it was an incredible experience to retrace her and my grandfathers? teps. The village looks very picturesque and pretty much the same as she ketched - it was incredible. We also were fortunate enough to visit the ncestors? rave and undertake ancestor worship at the newly renovated Kwong amily temple at Choon Wun. Our visit to Nanhai to the matriarchs grave as also a thrilling and deeply spiritual experience.

I was also so thrilled to locate some relatives in Kam Shek - and I was verwhelmed to see the family ancestor tablets. I am putting together a ackage for my new found relatives - a copy of the family history we have some photos.

I left with a very satisfied feeling and a deeper innate understanding of my roots.

Tina, if you remember I ran out of film when we visited Pak Shek and you took some photos for me - the photos were the ones taken from the old school building that is now an old lady house and the large Wong temple that is 200 years old and a picture of me drawing water from the well. If you could copy them to a CD for me I would be most grateful. The rest of the photos I took came out very well and I have printed those that include you and will send them in a parcel, which I hope you will accept as a token of my sincere appreciation. If you want any copies of these photos please let me know ¨C I can get them printed or copy them to a CD.

I am thinking of writing up a brief story about my visit and posting it on the web. It hopefully will include tips on how to find the villages. Links to maps on the web and how to prepare for the trip. (It would have been good if I had the time to send you all the material I had in Chinese) and I would like to make mention of your wonderful services and am seeking your permission to put your contact details as well as indicate the services your office provides - of course I would be happy to send it you for approval before I posted it on the web. What do you think about that? If you would prefer that I didn't I can quite understand.

Thank you for faxing the contact to the Tsang sing Association in Sydney. I phoned them but they advised they do not hold many records. But they are going to ask the old men if they remember my grandfather. Because it was quite a while ago I don't  think anyone will remember him but they may remember his father herbal shop. It is a pity that I can find out more about that side of the family but I do very much appreciate all your efforts to find any information. However I think I did extraordinarily well to cover so much while I was in China.

Many friends and relatives (including my brother who is a friend of Sam Wong) and many cousins have been very interested in my trip and because I had such a wonderful time they are also wanting to visit China and the ancestral villages. I hope I can refer them to your office.

I telephoned Sam Wong when I got back to tell him how wonderfully you looked after me. He was very impressed and very pleased. He is hoping to visit soon - he was supposed to go back to his village last November when he was in Hong Kong organizing a conference but his uncle was sick and he had to stay in Hong Kong. I didn realize he called you after I had left Australia.

I do hope that if you or your family or friends come to Sydney you will allow me to return your hospitality and give me the opportunity to show you our wonderful city of Sydney.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your very kind efforts. Without your very kind help I would not have had such a fantastic trip - thank you so much.

Kung Hee Fat Choy!

With my very kind regards and best wishes

Denise (Quay)