Travel Notes of the Northeast in May 2021 Part 7 - Looking for my mother’s hometown, Haicheng Ximucheng

On May 6, 2021, the 6th day of the "Northeast Journey - Root-Seeking Journey", we set off from Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao after breakfast, drove 368 kilometers to the Hongtuling Brigade of Ximu Commune, Haicheng, the hometown of the mother and son, and found her through the introduction of the village party branch secretary. My mother’s cousin, my cousin and aunt Ding Jingwu who are over 70 years old. After that, we drove 71 kilometers and arrived at my cousin’s house in Anshan, Liaoning Province at 3 pm. I met my 89-year-old aunt who is highly respected by our Zhang family. This was my second return to my hometown after an absence of 35 years after my trip to Anshan in 1986.

1. Itinerary for the day

 

The day's journey was 488 kilometers, the car was washed for 20 yuan, and the total consumption for the day was 20 yuan.

2. Cities passing through from Shanhaiguan to Anshan, Liaoning

With Shanhaiguan as the boundary, Hebei Province to the south and Liaoning Province to the north, "Crossing Guandong" tells the story of people from Shandong, Hebei and Henan moving to Liaodong provinces through Shanhaiguan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

It takes us about 5 hours to drive from Shanhaiguan to Anshan, Liaoning. Think back on the months it took our ancestors to break into Guandong. According to the TV series "Crossing the Guandong", "The Prequel to the Passage to the Guandong", and "The Story of the Passage to the Guandong" which record this period of history, there were water routes and dry routes to travel to the Guandong. Taking the water route means taking a boat from Shandong Peninsula to the Liaodong Peninsula, and then walking to the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang in Liaodong; Taking the land route means driving horse-drawn carriages, ox-carts or shoulder-to-shoulder carts along the Bohai Bay. It took more than three months to reach Liaodong on foot. What we are taking today is the dry road we took back then, but it was a dirt road back then and now it is a highway. Ocean views are often seen on the right side along the way.

3. Visit my mother’s childhood hometown

I often hear my mother talk about her childhood. Her hometown is Haicheng. Analysis Mucheng Hongtuling Commune, my grandmother's home Last name: Ding.

When her mother was a child, she often lived at her uncle's house in Hongtuling Commune. Her uncle and aunt's family were hardworking and kind-hearted. Her uncle worked in a talc mine and her aunt took care of the housework at home. The family was well off. The mother described the scene of playing in the village as a child: My uncle’s house is surrounded by mountains and rivers. There is a small river in front of the village. I often play in the river...

4. Looking for the scene 46 years ago

In 1975, before my family moved from Anshan to Panzhihua, my parents arranged for my sister and I to stay with my great-aunt in my mother’s hometown of Ximucheng for more than ten days. During these days, my two aunts took us to visit the surrounding areas. Picking wild vegetables by the railway...

This time I am returning to my hometown again after being away from those born in 1946. I am reminiscing about every detail of those years with the help of these remaining memories.

June 27, 2021