This is a journey across thousands of years in the vast Pacific Ocean.
The Austronesian language family is one of the broadest language groups in the world.
At present, there are nearly 300 million Austronesian speakers in Australia and Southeast Asian islands, such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
However, this ethnic group is inextricably linked with the Chinese nation.
On November 19, 2010, six "uninvited guests" were welcomed in Mawei Port, Fujian Province.
Elia et al
They are descendants of the Austronesian language family.
Although the faces of several people were exotic, their eyes flashed with longing for their homeland.
They held high the bright Chinese flag and raised their arms and shouted:
"We're finally home!"
This group of descendants of the Austronesian language family actually followed the example of their ancestors thousands of years ago, driving a primitive wooden boat across the Pacific Ocean to the south coast of China!
This is only to find those ancient memories that are deeply embedded in the memory of the race!
This group of people with very different appearances, accents and Chinese, living outside an island tens of thousands of miles away from Chinese mainland, turned out to be descendants of the Chinese nation?
Elia, a Polynesian on the ship, even mentioned that in his family's memory, the same pronunciation of words such as "Huaxia" and "horsetail" kept repeating, which also made him think of finding relatives for thousands of miles.
They began preparations in early 2010 and set off from Tahiti in July for 116 days, adrift in the Pacific Ocean for nearly four months, just to reach their homeland buried deep in the memories of their people.
"This land has a primordial call to my soul."
Elia said.
In this article, let's take a look at the "homecoming" of these prodigal sons who have been wandering for thousands of years
Set off in a canoe and sail across the Pacific Ocean
On the boundless sea level, the sea is rough and a lone canoe drifts with the waves.
More than a dozen flags fluttered on the canoe, one of which was a bright red one.
It turned out to be a five-star red flag, raised at the highest point of the cabin, fluttering in the wind.
And this flag is also the ultimate meaning of this canoe across the Pacific Ocean.
The leader of the canoe, Elia, is leading this thousand-mile search for relatives.
Elia
As a descendant of the Austronesian language family, he has been searching for his homeland in the memory of his ethnic group.
So on July 27, 2010, he led this group of enthusiastic Austronesian descendants to embark on a journey to find their relatives.
They even built a canoe called the Liberty with their own hands.
The canoe is made from pure wood according to blueprints handed down locally.
The reason for the use of such canoes is to prove that their ancestors came here from China in such wooden boats.
And in order to get close to nature and return to the origin of life, they also asked the crew not to carry modern daily necessities, such as mobile phones and instant noodles.
This is to get closer to the original state of thousands of years ago.
As it turns out, they did, but it wasn't easy.
Along the way, they experienced typhoons, torrential rains and famine, with several crises nearly ending the journey.
About the fifty-third day of their canoe departure, they encountered a typhoon called "Catfish".
The canoes rowed past the edge of a raging typhoon, and a hurricane blew and nearly overturned them.
The typhoon lasted for a whole week, during which time they ran out of food.
Before the typhoon, the crew made a living by catching marine fish.
However, during typhoons, marine fish take refuge in deep waters, making it extremely difficult to catch.
They also face a fatal problem: they get lost at sea.
The typhoon weather has made the surrounding environment pitch black, the fingers are missing, the magnetic field is disordered, and the traditional compass is useless.
Elia later recalled:
"It was the darkest time of my life, but I know it was a test for us because our ancestors went through more difficult times than this."
Fortunately, there was an experienced sailor hidden in this small canoe.
Not only was he able to find the right route in the typhoon weather, but he also solved the food problem.
This gave life to the people on board.
That sailor was Uncle Koronui, who had an amazing skill set in navigation.
It is said that he once drove a wooden boat alone and caught a 6.52-foot bigeye tuna, which was 2 meters long, during the typhoon.
The people on the ship could only pin their hopes on Uncle Cooper, and Uncle Cooper lived up to his expectations.
In this riotous sea, he seems to be blessed by the gods, and can always accurately guide the course.
This is followed by solving the problem of food.
A canoe piloted by Elia
In the morning, when the crew had just gotten up, they were surprised to find a large fish up to 1.5 meters long lying in the cabin.
This fish was caught by Uncle Cooper in the middle of the night, taking advantage of the habit of fishing, and solved their urgent needs.
During this journey across the Pacific, the canoe underwent hundreds of repairs, and the crew and descendants of the Austronesian languages endured countless hardships.
They had planned to arrive in China on Oct. 31, but they were nearly 20 days late than planned.
Nevertheless, they eventually managed to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach the southern shore of China, completing this legendary journey to find their roots!
This is not only their journey to the end of the world, but also the great adventure of the descendants of the Austronesian language group to explore the ancient roots of China.
This move also became a glorious moment in Elia's life.
I quit my job, my family was against it, the road was hard, but the result was worth it!
Elijah was a former diplomatic adviser.
He came to China in 1987 for work reasons, and that experience made him deeply attracted to this ancient land.
Since then, an idea has sprung up in his mind: to go to China to find his roots!
The idea was hidden for 21 years, until he decided to quit his job and put this crazy but sacred plan into practice.
Elia's wife was not supportive of the plan.
She believes that it is impractical and extremely dangerous to cross such a long distance with a canoe made from a traditional stone axe.
However, Elia firmly believes that this is a sacred journey to find relatives, a mission journey to the roots of his race.
His beliefs soon attracted like-minded people to join him.
In the process of preparation, Elia looked through many ancient documents and found a lot of information related to China.
It also convinced him that their voyage was not only an adventure, but also a spiritual and cultural destination.
As soon as he said it, Elia quickly found the drawings that had been handed down, which was a design for a wooden canoe.
Later, after a meticulous restoration by skilled local carpenters, the Liberty canoe was born.
Soon, a group of like-minded people gathered in the canoe, including six Austronesian descendants and five crew members responsible for the voyage, and they embarked on this journey together.
After half a year of preparation, they finally set off on July 27, 2010 and began this journey of searching for relatives across thousands of miles.
On the day the canoe set off with a boatload of people, Elia's wife stood on the shore of Tahiti, watching her husband sail away with concern.
In the process of driving the "Freedom" canoe to find his roots, his wife Wang Xin undoubtedly endured great worries and concerns.
On the day of departure, Elia's wife stood on the shore with worry in her eyes.
She knew that this trip meant a lot to Elia, but she couldn't suppress the uneasiness in her heart.
Although the voyage was delayed by the extremely dangerous Hurricane Catfish, which delayed the journey for nearly 20 days, Elia and his party finally arrived at the port of Mawei in Fujian, China, on November 19.
They held high the red flag, declaring their success and sense of belonging.
They proved that this transpacific journey, even if it was a millennium ago, was entirely feasible.
Upon arrival, Elia immediately contacted his wife and family to announce the exciting news.
He was full of excitement to tell them that he had finally realized this dream of crossing thousands of miles and returned to his ancestors' homeland in the same way that his ancestors had done thousands of years ago.
Immediately, Elia and the crew members were warmly welcomed by the locals of Mawei Port in Fujian.
Their arrival not only attracted a lot of media attention, but also sparked interest in Austronesian culture.
Elia et al
Historians and cultural scholars were curious about this root-seeking journey and came to exchange ideas and discuss it.
During their stay in Fujian, Elijah and his companions visited many historical sites and shared their voyage stories and cultural traditions with local residents.
This experience not only gave them a sense of belonging, but also deepened their understanding of their cultural roots.
This journey across the Pacific is not only a continuation of the legacy of our ancestors, but also a redefinition of cultural identity.
The search for relatives has ended, and the cultural origins continue
After successfully arriving in China, Elija was full of excitement and did not show the fatigue of the long voyage at all.
He gazed lovingly at the land that had appeared countless times in his dreams, and his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment and joy.
This journey across the ocean not only allowed him to witness the footprints of his ancestors, but also made everyone feel the power and importance of cultural inheritance.
To celebrate this historic occasion, the local residents spontaneously organized a grand welcome meeting.
The crowd was weaving, the sky was full of flowers, and warm welcomes and congratulations filled the whole scene.
As a commemoration of this root-seeking trip, Elia decided to donate the "Freedom" to the Fujian Provincial Museum.
The canoe will be an important link between the past and the future, allowing future generations to learn about their roots.
Elia (1st from right)
This not only shows the inclusiveness and generosity of the Chinese nation, but also leaves traces of the culture of the Austronesian language group in the world.
However, Ilia wanted to do much more than that, and driving a canoe across the Pacific Ocean to the Mawei district of Fujian, China, was just one major milestone in his journey.
Elia's next plan is to search for the remains of Austronesian ancestors in the land of China.
He hopes to find the actual traces of the ancestors who moved south from the southern shores of China to form the Austronesian language family.
Through his fieldwork, Elia hopes to find the historical connection between the Austronesian language group and China, and add concrete results to his journey to find his roots.
On this land of China, he deeply felt the long-standing heritage of Chinese culture.
Moreover, Elia not only pays attention to personal cultural exploration, but also actively promotes the inheritance of Austronesian culture.
He organizes activities such as root-seeking tours to make more people aware of and pay attention to the culture and history of the Austronesian language community.
Elia (1st from right)
His actions not only had a profound impact within the Austronesian language community, but also attracted wide attention from the media and academic circles at home and abroad.
The journey of Austronesian people to find their roots is not only a deep search for their own cultural roots, but also a reflection of their respect for their ancestral heritage.
The journey of Austronesian people to find their roots is not only a profound pursuit of their own cultural roots, but also a historical exploration full of feelings!
As Elia said in an interview:
"The world is so complicated, and everyone is longing and looking for peace. If we find out that we are all one family, then there will be peace. ”
This respect for culture and the pursuit of ancestors is similar to the deep historical and cultural ties between Taiwan and the mainland!
Taiwan compatriots' identification with Chinese culture and their sense of belonging to the motherland show the same deep emotions.
Elia's successful journey to find its roots demonstrates the power of cultural identity and belonging.
This gives us a clear takeaway:
Peaceful reunification is the best choice for cross-strait relations, our common dream, and the ultimate destination!
This kind of reunification is not only the common aspiration of the entire Chinese people, but also the universal expectation of the international community!
Resources:
Coming to Pingtan to find the roots of the Austronesian language family: a mysterious migration journey in the history of mankind------ Fujian Daily
Descendants of the Austronesian language family drove canoes to "find their roots" in China------ China Daily
Thousands of miles apart but regarded as "the same race"? Uncover the most mysterious migration journey in human history ------ Phoenix TV