I went to China in search of my Teochew lineage. What I found was much more
Inspired by her Teochew grandmother, Jariel Ann Tan traced her lineage via an Indonesian island near Singapore back to a village in southern China that her great-grandfather left forever as an 11-year-old.
Jariel Ann Tan embarked on a journey to uncover her Teochew heritage, inspired by her grandmother's culture. Growing up in Singapore, Tan was surrounded by Teochew traditions, from the food at her grandmother's table to the language she spoke. As she grew older, she began to question her grandmother's past, wondering about her grandfather's story and how her family came to be in Singapore.
Through conversation and research, Tan learned that her great-grandfather, Tan Kwan Lok, left his village in southern China as an 11-year-old to start a new life in Indonesia. With the help of a relative in Indonesia and an AI tool, Tan and her family traced their lineage back to the Sha Long village in Chao an, Guangdong province, China.
Despite the lack of records from Singapore's Teochew associations, Tan and her family were able to connect with local elders in Chao an who helped piece together her family's history. The experience of visiting the village and ancestral hall allowed Tan to finally feel a connection to her great-grandfather and understand the journey that brought her family to Singapore.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
