In May, a Singaporean family undertook an 11-day trip to Chaozhou, Guangdong province, with the initial aim of exploring Teochew culture and spending time together. What began as a vacation evolved into a profound journey of reconnecting with long-lost relatives, spanning three branches of their family.

Jasmine Goh-Chew, 51, organized the trip along with her husband, Raymond Chew, three of their four children, her elderly parents, and other family members. Carrying a faded letter from 1993, sent by a relative in China to her aunt in Malaysia and kept as a family keepsake, Jasmine hoped the letter might serve as a clue to uncover unknown relatives. Shortly after arriving in Chaozhou, a chance encounter with an airport employee introduced the family to volunteer organizations specializing in helping overseas Chinese trace their roots.

During a traditional yingge dance performance, the family connected with local volunteer leader Zeng Jianpeng, who oversees Menggui Chaoshan ("Dream of Returning to Chaoshan"), a network of more than 3,000 volunteers across Guangdong and neighboring provinces. Zeng, who has spent over a decade facilitating reunions for families separated by migration and historical upheavals, was initially surprised to learn the family was searching for relatives linked to three distinct hometowns: Jasmine’s paternal, maternal, and her husband’s families.

Volunteers quickly mobilized to aid the search. For Jasmine’s mother’s side, they began with the 33-year-old letter written by a man surnamed Chua from Shantou, whose exact relation was unclear. Street address changes complicated matters, but with assistance from local authorities, the descendants of the letter’s author were located. The reunion revealed that the man who had written the original letter was actually Jasmine’s mother’s eldest brother, left behind in China and later raised by another family. The woman who had penned the letter on his behalf was his daughter, Jasmine’s first cousin. Both families had exchanged letters decades earlier but never met until this reunion, which effectively reconstructed their family tree.

Jasmine’s 79-year-old mother was also able to visit the house where her father once lived, marking a deeply personal connection to her ancestral heritage.

Tracing Raymond’s lineage proved more challenging. The only lead was a photograph of his grandfather’s gravestone from Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, referencing “Xiwei Village.” Since multiple villages within the Chaoshan region bear that name, volunteers cross-referenced migration and village records to identify the probable origin in Shantou. With only days remaining before the family’s scheduled return to Singapore, volunteers issued appeals through social media platforms, which quickly yielded the exact household. The reunion confirmed Raymond’s grandfather had diligently sent remittances to his family in China, underscoring the sacrifices many migrants made.

At times, initial meetings were met with skepticism, as some Chinese relatives feared claims on property, while Singaporean family members questioned the authenticity of connections. Volunteers played a crucial role in easing tensions until all parties recognized their shared desire for familial bonds.

A poignant moment during the trip was the families’ collective viewing of the Chinese film "Dear You," centered on themes of family, separation, and reconciliation.

Over the past decade, Menggui Chaoshan has facilitated reunions for over 1,000 families worldwide, including numerous cases from Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Canada, and France. Zeng described Jasmine’s case as emblematic of successful reunifications, attributing the outcome to thorough preparation and valuable artifacts such as letters and photographs brought by the searching families.

Since returning home, Jasmine has joined the volunteer network, assisting others in Singapore to locate their relatives in China. She has already helped reconnect two additional families.

Reflecting on the experience, Jasmine said the trip unexpectedly deepened their understanding of family history and cultural roots, leaving her emotionally fulfilled and eager to encourage others to pursue similar journeys.