Tai Shan - big day at the Chin Village

Lindsay started off her day with chicken feet and watermelon.

Our group then headed off to the Chin Village.
We arrived at the village just before 9 am. We all got off the bus at the main entry gate leading into the village, right into the throngs making their way in.

We're greeted by some relatives, then lead off to the house to pay our respects.

More relatives.

The main entrance to Dad's house in the village.

Pictures inside Dad's house.

Mom and Dad back in the house they lived in over 60 years ago, paying respect under the shrine, before we attended the dedication ceremony of the new building.

Mom and Dad sitting on the bed that was built for them when they were married. It, along with the rack on the right are the only two items in the room.

The shrine in the main room of the house. In every home in the village, there is a shrine where all the ceremonies within the house take place.

A storage area just outside the kitchen.

This is the woman who is the current caretaker of Dad's house.

Firecrackers going off outside the main entrance to the house.

A view of part of the village from the roof of the new building. The entire village is a cluster of buildings about one square city block surrounded by fields of rice and vegetables.

Seated and waiting for the ribbon cutting ceremony are Sabrina, Auntie May, Sylvia, Faye. Behind them are Sabrina's Mom, and housekeeper Fong. Fong accompanied us throughout our trip in China and Hong Kong. Her trips to Macau and Hong Kong were the first she had taken out of China.

From the roof of the new building overlooking part of the crowd assembled for the ceremony.

Plates of chopped chicken in the kitchen.

The ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the new building.

There were around 40 people from the US on hand, which included our group of 15.

End of the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Here Dad is pointing out all our names on the dedication wall.

The shrine room in the new building.

Chopping up roast goose in the kitchen area.

Three roast pigs were brought in for the celebration.

The food was catered by the best restaurant in Chong Lo (the main town servicing the nearby villages). Some of it was cooked onsite in the large kitchen adjacent to the new building.

Plates of roast goose waiting to be served.

Bev standing outside the new building in a sea of spent firecrackers.

Our group of 15 were scattered over three tables, each seating eight, in the upstairs room. We sat on sawhorse looking benches.

Tables were set up outside for those who were not lucky enough to have a seat inside. It did begin to sprinkle a bit during the meal.

The main room on the ground floor of the new building was filled with people eating.

There are about 150 people living in the Chin Village but around a thousand people attended the festivaties, most from neighboring villages.

Alan chowing down with our Lew Family guide and bus driver. The food was actually quite good. Gone are the swarms of flies we encountered on our last trip back in 1986.

There was also some whiskey, or rice wine, to kill off anything we were afraid of having ingested.