──A Time-Paused Space──
This journey was a profoundly meaningful exploration of my roots. I visited the abandoned Hakka ancestral home, Feng Dali’s Four Corners Building in Baihua Town, Huizhou, constructed by my great-grandfather over 160 years ago. This sprawling structure, encompassing 9,557 square meters and 160 rooms, once housed over 300 descendants of the Fung family, is currently the largest known single Hakka earthen house in Huizhou. Here, even the bricks and mortar whisper untold tales, waiting to be revealed. This work documents more than mere ruins; it records historical sites deeply significant to me.

The oil lamp, illuminating the dimly lit rooms, symbolizes my connection across time and space. It reveals the existence of this place, bridging the present and the past. Forgotten fragments, the belongings left behind when people deserted this place, illuminate the scene further. I capture the beauty of traditional Chinese architecture, the ruins’ quiet emptiness, and, most importantly, the imprints of family heritage.

This unfamiliar place, despite its strangeness, revealed a deep connection to my bloodline. In my ancestral home, I searched for a transgenerational identity and a sense of belonging, uncovering my lost hometown, a part of myself, and a long-lost relative through the narrative of my photographs.