In 2024, Tan Wanxuan (陳婉璇), a video director and editor from Gim-zieh (金石) town in Teo-ann, shared the story of Sister Hung (芬姐) from Vĩnh Châu, Vietnam, during an exclusive interview with The Teochew Store. According to her, most of the Chinese in Vĩnh Châu are of Teochew descent, earning the town the nickname “Little Teochew”. Sister Hung, who was born there and is now in her seventies, traces her ancestral roots to Koi Mui (溪美), Teo-yor (潮陽). It has been her lifelong wish to set foot on the soil of her ancestral hometown and see its scenery. However, for various reasons, this wish had never been fulfilled. Helping Sister Hung return to Teo-yor became one of Wanxuan's greatest wishes. This year, through the joint efforts of young Teochews in China and Vietnam, Sister Hung finally fulfilled her wish, setting foot on Teochew soil and returning to the place of her ancestral roots. The moment was truly moving and joyous.
Born in a Foreign Land, Her Heart Always Longed for Teochew
Wanxuan first met Sister Hung in 2019 at a Chinese-language school founded by the local Teochew community in Vĩnh Châu, while she was working as the director and writer of the documentary Flavours of Teochew from the Four Seas (四海潮味, unofficial English translation). Sister Hung was a staff member at the school. At the time, she saw Wanxuan’s filming crew and, out of curiosity, took the initiative to approach them and strike up a conversation.
Sister Hung told them about her family history: her grandfather had left Teo-yor for Vietnam in the early years, while both her father and she were born in Vietnam. Her father served as a director of Guohua Fourth School in Vĩnh Châu. Although the family had settled in Vietnam, her father and the older generation strictly required family members to speak Teochew. This was further reinforced by the fact that most of their neighbours also mainly spoke Teochew. Thus, despite being born and raised in Vietnam, Sister Hung not only speaks very fluent Teochew, but can also hum lines from Teochew opera.
The inheritance of the language also fostered in Sister Hung a deep affection for her ancestral homeland of Teochew.
Returning to the hometown of their forebears and seeing its scenery had been a wish that her father was never able to fulfil during his lifetime. Paying respects to her ancestors in Dengsua (唐山, the term used by Teochew elders to refer to China) on her father’s behalf therefore became Sister Hung’s lifelong wish.
When they parted after their first meeting, Wanxuan and Sister Hung exchanged telephone numbers. In the years that followed, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wanxuan would occasionally receive international long-distance calls from Sister Hung. In their conversations, Sister Hung expressed to Wanxuan her deep longing for Teochew. So strong was her desire that, despite living in a remote coastal area, she even made a special trip to apply for a passport. This greatly moved Wanxuan, and helping Sister Hung return to Teo-yor became a matter that she could not put out of her mind.
Uniting Across Borders to Overcome a Visa Hurdle
“Too poor to even have a place to stand; sheltering alone and miserable in a dilapidated kiln.” This is a line from a Teochew opera that Sister Hung often hummed, and it closely reflected her circumstances.
After Wanxuan shared Sister Hung’s story on social media, many kind-hearted people offered to pay for her airfare and travel expenses. However, applying for a visa to travel to China required a guarantor, proof of assets, and other documentation. Sister Hung has no children, lives on a meagre income, and has no bank account in her name. The younger members of her extended family were also occupied with their own work and families and could not accompany her back to China. As a result, her visa application and other arrangements for travelling to the country remained unresolved.
In January 2026, Wanxuan shared Sister Hung's predicaments with Siao Ngi (肖毅), the founder of “Three Yuan Canteen” (三元飯堂), a charitable restaurant in Swatow. Since 2016, Three Yuan Canteen has provided free lunches and dinners every day to people in need, including elderly people living alone, people with disabilities, and families facing financial difficulties.
Without hesitation, Siao Ngi travelled with Wanxuan to Vĩnh Châu in the following month. There they worked together with three local young Teochews—Ah Meng (阿明), Keng Nguang (慶元) and Zung Bhu (俊武)—to help Sister Hung complete the visa process. Sister Hung agreed to return to China with Wanxuan and Siao Ngi after the Qingming Festival, in the warmth of spring.
A Dream Fulfilled Against All Odds
Sister Hung's journey to her ancestral homeland was not as smooth as planned. In April 2026, she was knocked down by motorcycles on two separate occasions. The first accident occurred during the Qingming Festival, when she suffered a head injury and her face became swollen. In the second accident, she fractured her shoulder and also injured her leg.
Fearing she might need surgery that would delay her trip, she refused to seek medical treatment for some time. Eventually, after much persuasion, she was accompanied by several kind-hearted fellow Teochews in Vĩnh Châu to a local hospital for an examination. Given her advanced age, the doctor did not recommend surgery and instead prescribed conservative treatment with a corrective brace.
Fortunately, Sister Hung’s recovery went reasonably well. On 27 April 2026, accompanied by Siao Ngi, she finally arrived in Teochew. However, Siao Ngi noticed that, perhaps because of her old age and the fact that she was outside Vietnam for the first time, Sister Hung was somewhat confused and refused to accept she was already in China.
Sister Hung only came to terms with this reality after Siao Ngi led her into the compound of the Chew (朱) Clan Ancestral Hall of her family in Koi Mui, Teo-yor. As she paid respects to her ancestors, Sister Hung said emotionally: "Fortunately, there are these friends from China, righteous and benevolent, to guide this granddaughter (Sister Hung) here. May everyone be blessed with peace and fulfilment from now on.”
After spending several days in Swatow, Sister Hung visited the historical city of Teochew with Wanxuan. Standing beside the city’s ancient gate tower, Sister Hung spoke from the bottom of her heart: "To be able to return to the place where my ancestors were born is the happiest and most uplifting moment of my life. The people of Dengsua, men and women, old and young, have all treated me so warmly, taking me to visit scenic spots and historic sites, and even taking photographs for me as keepsakes. I believe my father's spirit in heaven will also be happy for me. I am deeply grateful, and having no way to repay them, I will remember this in my heart forever".
On May 8, 2026, accompanied by a young Vietnamese volunteer, Sister Hung ended her trip to China and returned to Vietnam. On the eve of her departure, Wanxuan specially printed photographs from Sister Hung’s journey and collected them in an album as a gift. Through this simple, time-honoured gesture, she helped Sister Hung preserve her memories of her time in China.
This special trip also left lasting memories on Wanxuan. “Although we feel great sympathy for the hardships Sister Hung has endured in her life, we are also happy for her that she was able to fulfill her wish!"
Note:
This account is based on Wanxuan's narration and Facebook posts, and 《越南芬姐 圆梦归潮》, a short documentary by Changguangli (长光里).
All pictures and video of this article are from Wanxuan Tan Facebook.
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