On October 25, 1945, the Surrender Ceremony of Taiwan Province in the China War Zone took place in Taipei City, marking the formal retrocession of Taiwan to China's territory. Eighty years later, CGTN presents the documentary "Returning to Roots: A Journey across the Taiwan Strait", unearthing long-buried fragments of history and reawakening shared memories.
EastChange Guo, a professor from the Taiwan region at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, embarks on a deeply personal quest: tracing his family genealogy and unraveling the question, "Who am I?" His journey winds through the yellow earth of Fenyang, the ancient city walls of Pingyao, and the coastal breeze of Xiamen on the Chinese mainland. Along the way, letters, photographs, and oral histories come to life.
Yet Guo's story is also a mirror for millions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. "Returning to Roots" highlights local customs (from Shanxi harvest festivals to Fujian tea ceremonies) that endured decades of separation, revealing enduring cross-strait ties and cultural bonds.
Blending cinematic storytelling with data-driven insights, the film maps migration patterns and demographic shifts, offering context for today's young global citizens, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. It shows how heritage and identity shape the present, and how understanding the past can fuel real-world impact.
Roots reside in the land and in our collective memories. By retracing these connections, "Returning to Roots" invites viewers everywhere to reflect on their own origins and chart new paths toward shared understanding.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
