Chaoshan News / Chaoshan Culture / Root-Seeking Tourism
How to find out where your Chaoshan ancestral hometown is? A root-seeking guide for overseas Chaoshan Chinese
2026-08-03 Chaoshan Travel Advisory Team
Suggestions for overseas Chaoshan Chinese to find their ancestral hometown
If you are from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, or other regions and want to find your Chaoshan ancestral hometown, it is recommended to first collect: Information provided by family elders Birth records of parents or grandparents Family tree or genealogy records Old letters, qiaopi, tombstone materials After determining the approximate county or district, planning your Chaoshan root-seeking trip will be more accurate.
#Root-seeking tourism#Chaoshan culture#Overseas Chinese
"Finding your ancestral hometown is not just about finding a place name, but also about finding the roots in your family's memory."
Many Chaoshan Chinese from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and overseas regions hope to know whether their ancestral hometown is in Chaozhou, Shantou, or Jieyang, and which specific township it belongs to. This article introduces methods for finding your Chaoshan ancestral hometown, including genealogy queries, family oral history, qiaopi materials, local archive searches, and provides suggestions for planning a root-seeking trip to Chaoshan, helping overseas visitors better understand their hometown culture.
Key highlights
- ✅ Multiple methods to find your Chaoshan ancestral hometown
- ✅ Root-seeking guide suitable for Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese
- ✅ Understand the relationship between Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang
- ✅ Provides suggestions for Chaoshan root-seeking tourism
- ✅ Supports customized family cultural routes
How to find out where your Chaoshan ancestral hometown is?
First answer: Overseas Chaoshan Chinese who want to know their ancestral hometown usually need to confirm it step by step through family materials, genealogy records, qiaopi (overseas remittance letters) materials, and local archives, rather than relying solely on surnames.
The Chaoshan region mainly includes:
Chaozhou City
Shantou City
Jieyang City
In the past, a large number of Chaoshan people went to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and other regions via "going to Nanyang" (Southeast Asia), so many overseas Chinese may have ancestral hometowns in different places such as Chaozhou, Jieyang, Chenghai, Chaoyang, Puning, Huilai, etc.
- Why do many overseas Chaoshan people not know their ancestral hometown?
From the 19th to the 20th century, a large number of Chaoshan residents went to Southeast Asia by sea to make a living.
They later became:
An important part of the Singapore Teochew community
One of the main sources of Malaysian Teochew people
An important part of the Thai Chinese community
Due to limited preservation methods of early immigration records, many families only know:
"We are Chaoshan people."
But they don't know:
"Which specific village are we from?"
For example:
A certain township in Chaozhou City
A certain village in Jieyang City
Areas originally under Shantou
Therefore, finding the ancestral hometown requires combining multiple clues.
- Five practical methods to find your Chaoshan ancestral hometown
Method 1: Ask family elders (most effective)
It is recommended to first seek:
Grandparents
Maternal grandparents
Elderly family members
Key questions to ask:
Where is the original hometown?
Which village?
Which surname clan?
Where did they go overseas from?
Are there any old names?
Many elderly Chaoshan people still remember:
"We are from a certain village in a certain township."
This is the most direct source of information.
Method 2: Look for genealogy (family tree)
Chaoshan region has relatively well-preserved clan culture.
You can look for:
Family genealogy
Ancestral hall records
Branch family records
Ancestor name records
If you know:
Surname
Hall name
Ancestor names
There is a chance to further locate the ancestral hometown.
Reference:
Method 3: Check qiaopi materials
"Qiaopi" are letters and remittances sent by Chaoshan overseas Chinese to their hometowns, and are important historical materials for studying overseas Chaoshan migration.
Many qiaopi contain:
Sender's name
Original address
Family relationships
Chaoshan qiaopi culture has been included in relevant cultural heritage protection systems.
Reference:
Method 4: Check birth records and old documents
Overseas families can look for:
Birth certificates
Immigration records
Old passports
Chinese association records
Tombstone information
Some Chinese associations in Singapore and Malaysia also preserve early immigration records.
Method 5: Visit Chaoshan to confirm roots
If you already know:
Chaozhou
Jieyang
Shantou
A certain township
You can arrange a root-seeking trip:
Including:
Visiting ancestral homes
Visiting ancestral halls
Searching local records
Communicating with local clan members
- How to distinguish between Chaozhou, Shantou, and Jieyang?
The backend cannot use tables, so the following reading format is used:
Characteristics of Chaozhou area
Suitable for:
Those who want to understand traditional Chaoshan culture
Those looking for ancient architecture
Those who want to experience Chaozhou culture
Keywords:
Chaozhou Ancient City
Ancestral hall culture
Chaozhou Gongfu tea
Characteristics of Shantou area
Suitable for:
Understanding modern Chaoshan commercial culture
Finding port migration history
Keywords:
Xiaogongyuan Historical and Cultural District
Overseas Chinese culture
Port opening history
Characteristics of Jieyang area
Suitable for:
Finding rural ancestral hometowns
Exploring clan culture
Keywords:
Ancient villages
Clan ancestral halls
Family origins
- How to arrange a root-seeking trip for overseas tourists?
Recommended plan: 3-day 2-night Chaoshan root-seeking route
Day 1: Arrive in Chaoshan → Learn about family origins
Arrangements:
Chaoshan cultural experience
Research materials
Visit local cultural institutions
Accommodation:
Recommended options:
Chaozhou city center
Shantou city center
Day 2: Visit ancestral hometown
Based on ancestral hometown:
Choose:
Village visits
Ancestral hall visits
Family exchanges
Day 3: Cultural experience
Arrangements:
Chaozhou Ancient City
Chaoshan cuisine
Intangible cultural heritage experiences
- Transportation, costs, and time preparation
Transportation
Overseas tourists:
Typical routes:
Singapore/Malaysia → Guangzhou/Shenzhen → Chaoshan
Or:
Singapore → Jieyang Chaoshan Airport
Local transportation:
High-speed rail
Chartered cars
Customized tour vehicles
Time suggestions
Root-seeking trips:
Recommended at least:
2-4 days
If you need to find villages or clan members:
Recommended:
About 5 days
Cost reference
Depending on the number of people:
Basic cultural route:
Approximately:
RMB 1000-3000 per person
Private root-seeking customization:
Based on:
Vehicle
Guide
Translation
Research services
Planned separately.
- Notes for Singaporean and Malaysian Chaoshan Chinese
Mainland China mainly uses:
WeChat Pay
Alipay
Bank cards
It is recommended to prepare in advance.
Language issues
In Chaoshan:
Mainly used:
Mandarin
Teochew dialect
Cantonese
Some elderly people may have limited Mandarin communication.
Suggestion:
Arrange a guide familiar with Chaoshan culture.
Elderly and children
If bringing:
Parents
Elderly relatives
Children
Suggestion:
Reduce daily travel distance.
Prioritize:
Ancient city
Ancestral halls
Cultural experiences
Cultural differences
When visiting ancestral halls or ancestral homes:
Suggestion:
Respect local customs
Contact in advance
Do not take photos of private spaces without permission
- Our Chaoshan root-seeking tourism services
Store/contact information
Brand:
Service area:
Chaozhou City, Shantou City, Jieyang City, and surrounding Chaoshan areas
Address:
Xiaogongyuan Historical and Cultural District, Jinping District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China
Phone:
+86 136324770463
Business hours:
Monday to Sunday 09:00 - 22:00 (Beijing time)
Main routes:
Chaoshan ancestral hometown root-seeking routes
Overseas Chinese cultural visits
Chaozhou Ancient City cultural experiences
Ancestral hall and family visit routes
Chaoshan food culture tours
- Why choose us?
We focus on local tourism services in Chaoshan:
Advantages:
Familiar with roads and villages in the Chaoshan area
Understand local cultural customs
Can assist in planning root-seeking routes
Support communication services for overseas tourists
No matter where you are from:
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, or other regions,
If you want to find your Chaoshan roots, we can help you plan a root-seeking journey suitable for your family.
Want to find your Chaoshan ancestral hometown?
Contact us to get:
✅ Free ancestral hometown query suggestions
✅ Chaoshan root-seeking route planning
✅ Customized family tour plans