Optimism despite challenges: a Malaysian-Chinese family's trip to find roots in China's hinterland
Since we launched this substack, wherever we travel, we have always managed to meet some of our local subscribers. JJ, a Malaysian-Chinese business owner, is a paid subscriber of ours and one of the first subscribers I met on one of those trips. Meeting JJ was an eye-opening experience for me and made me appreciate my lack of knowledge of the complex history and cultures of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, especially on a human level.
After the lifting of the COVID lockdown, JJ’s family also paid a number of visits in China, including during Christmas of last year when our team hosted a lunch for them. A few weeks ago, JJ’s family also went to visit their ancestral home in inland Fujian Province. The trip was in turn an eye-opening experience for JJ. It was at the same time a “root-finding寻根” trip and at the same time an inspection tour when he observed first-hand many of the socio-economic realities, ranging from the good ones (low price, low crime, great infrastructure) to the bad (collapsing real estate market, etc.) In the end, he left with an overall optimistic outlook for China’s future.
I think this experience can give all of us another unique, inherently cross-cultural perspective to look at today’s China, being both an outside view (that he is Malaysian) and also an inside one (being ethnically Chinese). Recently, there has been a widely cited poll regarding ASEAN elites’s varying perceptions of China with some surprising results. I hope the travelogue below, written by JJ, can shed some human-level light to help put this kind of study in context.
Please enjoy JJ’s travelogue below:
As the plane touched down at Xiamen Airport on the last day of the Chinese New Year, we were filled with anticipation for the journey ahead as we embarked on a trip to visit relatives in the township of Shizhong (适中镇) and explore the cities of Xiamen (厦门市) and Longyan (龙岩市). It is a rare opportunity to visit a 2nd tier city, 3rd tier city, and a small town in a single trip.
Separation and resilience
Our first destination was Shizhong, a small town near Longyan, where my father's long-lost brother resides. The story of my father's family is one of separation and resilience. Almost 80 years ago, during the war, my grandfather made the difficult decision to leave his home in China to the shores of Malaysia, in search of a better life for his family. Unfortunately, he was unable to return to China due to the geopolitical landscape at that time. He subsequently settled down in Malaysia but continued to financially support his family back in China. Despite the challenges faced by my uncle’s family who remained in Shizhong, we were heartened to see that their lives had significantly improved over the years. They now live in a well-constructed three-story house, with the elderly members of the family comfortably settled in a single-story house on the same piece of land, specially designed for their convenience.
This is my parents’ 3rd time visiting Shizhong. They reunited with their Chinese relatives for the first time in 2014, as part of my father’s personal aspirations to re-establish family connections and to fulfill his late father’s wishes, who was unable to return to China in his lifetime given the difficult circumstances back then. Once re-connected in Shizhong, the relationship was reciprocated and their Chinese relatives made a subsequent trip to Malaysia to see, firsthand, the land and environment their grandfather had spent the last few decades of his life.
Given the history, my parents speak Hokkien which was passed on to them from our grandfather, which bears some similarities with the local Shizhong language that our Chinese relatives speak. Although my parents and the older generation in Shizhong don’t speak Mandarin, they manage to converse and understand each other with the help of other relatives, especially a young relative who is able to converse in English well.
This is my first time following my parents to Shizhong. My observation is that our Chinese relatives are very enthusiastic (热情) and genuinely happy to see us, and they truly offer the best to us. We were treated with warmth and kindness. They picked us up from Xiamen Airport for a 4.5-hour ride to Shizhong to see the rest of the family.
The drive from Xiamen to Shizhong was a testament to China's incredible infrastructure development. The highway was smooth and well-maintained, reminiscent of the roads in Japan, and the scenery that unfolded before us was gorgeous as we passed through the mountainous region. As an engineer, I couldn't help but marvel at the skill and precision that must have gone into the construction and maintenance of such an impressive network of roads.
Our arrival in Shizhong coincided with the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations, and we were immediately immersed in the festive atmosphere. This was a particularly poignant moment for my father, who had not seen his brother in many years. The air was filled with the tantalising aromas of home-cooked meals, and we had the pleasure of sampling local specialties like Baijiu, a potent Chinese liquor, and savouring the rich flavours of the region's renowned teas. As night fell, the sky came alive with a spectacular display of fireworks that lasted for hours, painting the darkness with bursts of colour and light. We were constantly kept warm by the additional winter clothes offered by our relatives, as the weather was unexpectedly cold.
The state of the economy
During our time with our relatives, we were told that the younger generation had migrated from Shizhong to Longyan in search of better work opportunities and better education for their children. In addition, rather than to work for an organisation in return for a stable income, we observe that the young are entrepreneurial and are willing to shoulder risks, in hopes of earning better income for the next generation. For example, the younger generation has shown interest in undertaking business opportunities overseas.
We also gained valuable insights into the current economic situation in Longyan, a city heavily dependent on the mining and construction industries. They shared with us the challenges they had faced, particularly the recent 30% drop in property prices, which had seen the cost per square metre fall from 14,000 RMB to 10,500 RMB. They also mentioned how businesses were not doing well in Longyan due to the real estate downturn. Despite these difficulties, they remained optimistic and said things would get better after 1 or 2 years.
As we delved deeper into the economic realities of the region, I couldn't help but draw comparisons between Longyan and my city in Malaysia. Despite the significant income disparity – the average annual income in Longyan being around 85,690 RMB (55,860 RM), while in our area in Malaysia, it was approximately 129,000 RMB (84,000 RM) – we were surprised to find that property prices in both regions were quite comparable despite the significant difference in earnings. This realisation prompted me to ponder the complex issues of housing affordability and wealth distribution that seemed to transcend national boundaries. I can understand why the government of China would want property prices to go down so that more people can afford housing.
Amidst these economic difficulties, our relatives also shared with us the positive changes they had witnessed in recent years, particularly in terms of improved security and social stability. They have not witnessed or experienced any crimes in recent years due to enhanced security measures. We also learnt how the education of the young ones is shaped and guided by new technology.
During our stay in Longyan, one of the highlights was a visit to the Yong Hui Supermarket. We were amazed to find that prices were much lower than what we were accustomed to in Malaysia, and the sheer range of products on offer – from live seafood (to the delight of my 4-year-old daughter) to exotic fruits (such as durians) and vegetables – was truly beyond my expectations for a third-tier city. We feasted on local produce with fascination – the locally produced strawberries and blueberries were delicious and so affordable that we consumed berries every day! In comparison, high-quality, imported strawberries in Malaysia would cost about 2 times more.
Travels to Longyan and Xiamen
From an economic perspective, although Longyan is a 3rd tier city and is impressive by all standards, we also observe that from a tourism perspective, it is relatively quiet. The hotel we stayed in was rather uninhabited although it was a top-tier luxury hotel that was affordable. That said, some of our peers have chosen to settle down in Longyan as it is a slower pace of life in terms of business and education, compared to the top-tier cities.
Along the way, we also had the opportunity to visit some of Longyan's most famous attractions, such as the Yongding Tulou (永定土楼) and Yun Shui Yao (云水谣古镇), which offered fascinating glimpses into the country's rich cultural heritage. We were impressed by the fact that it only cost us 15 RMB (~$2) to take a group picture (which includes a laminated picture + soft copy) inside Yongding Tulou (which is a 5A tourist site). In Malaysia, a group picture like this would have cost at least 100 RMB or more, and you wouldn't even get the soft copy.
As our trip drew to a close, we spent our final days in the captivating city of Xiamen. From the moment we arrived, we were struck by its stunning architecture and vibrant street life. The city seemed to effortlessly blend traditional Chinese and colonial styles, creating a unique and enchanting atmosphere. We lost ourselves in the winding alleys of the famous Gulangyu Island (鼓浪屿), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marveling at the car-free streets lined with European-style villas and lush gardens. The island's serene beauty and rich history provided a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
We also visited the wet market in Xiamen and were impressed with its cleanliness. We thoroughly enjoyed the food in Xiamen, and prices for goods & services were honest and affordable. I jokingly told my wife that we should retire here in Xiamen but was quickly reminded of the proximity of Xiamen to Taiwan, which served as a poignant reminder of the complex geopolitical realities that shape the region. May peace forever engulf the entire region.
One of the most striking observations during our journey was the growing presence of electric vehicles (EVs) on China's roads. During my trip to Shanghai back in December 2023 and my current Xiamen trip, we could clearly feel the improvement in air quality. It was evident that the country was making a concerted effort to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and invest heavily in green technology, as well as other cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Throughout our trip, we couldn't help but reflect on China's remarkable progress in these areas, with the country's massive investments in research and development and highly skilled workforce positioning it as a potential global leader. We can clearly see the government's ambitious targets and substantial investments in research and development, which signals China’s determination to overcome these hurdles and become a global leader in sustainable transportation and other innovative fields.
Huawei, BYD, Xiaomi, and many more tech companies from China are investing massively in R&D. BYD alone has a team of 100,000 people in their R&D team tackling problems such as autonomous driving, battery tech, robotics, and more. China will need its national champions to continuously invest in R&D to propel China into a high-income country and to break through any sanctions imposed by the West. We marveled at the possibilities these advancements could bring, from driving economic growth, to improving the lives of millions in China and even in Malaysia.
Our outlook for the future
We returned home with a newfound appreciation for China's rich history, vibrant culture, and promising future. The experiences we had shared and the insights we had gained would stay with us forever, shaping our understanding of this vast and complex nation. In the end, our trip to China had been so much more than a mere vacation. We got to witness first-hand the remarkable changes and developments that the country has undergone in recent years. The resilience and determination of the Chinese people, combined with the government's proactive efforts to address these issues, gave us confidence in the country's ability to navigate the complexities of the 21st century, and we knew that China's journey was far from over.
Thanks for sharing the wonderful experience! Having visited China four times since Jan 2023, including the latest one last month, I noticed that most people I met have rather comfortable lives, even ones who complained quite a lot about downturns of real estate and slower economy. It’s true that money is hard to come now - you have to work harder or longer, or both to get the same amount a few years ago. No easy money anymore. On the same time, quality goods and services are abundant and extremely affordable. For instance, quality hotel services are about 1/2 price or even lower of those in the us for the same quality services, let along those public transportations, food, etc. People focus more on their own daily lifestyle, less obsessed about what happens in the US, as before, seeming that the US is more distant and more irrelevant from them - a subtle phycological change. That shining star may not be that shining after all. Of course, my personal feel could be wrong.
Baiguan, thank you for these authentic snapshots of the real China. You are doing pioneering work in your quest to bring an intercultural understanding of China and its people.