Balik Kampung - Hainan Island

In Dec 2007, we visited Hainan Island.

My hubby’s 2nd uncle is staying at the ancestral’s home on that island. This trip was ‘2 birds with 1 stone’ as beside being our annual year end holiday, it was also an opportunity for us to know paternal roots.

Our flight with Hainan Airlines left KLIA at 4 am and arrived Hainan Island at 7am. After breakfast of delicious congee/yau char kuai and other stuffs , we ‘balik kampung’ with a pre-arranged MPV.

The drive was less than 2 hours, on very good conditions highway, and we did not see any toll booths. 2nd uncle met us at the junction of main road to show the way as the houses are located about 2-3 km away off the main artilleries.

My daughter’s remarks on the way in was ‘ this is like going jungle trekking’.

Entrance to the main courtyard, where the homes are located within the same perimeter

This is authentic 'leen koh', to welcome us home

Uncle preparing thank giving prayers

(bamboo ladder on extreme left is used to climb up to place the joss-sticks at the ancestral memorial tablets)

Ancestral Memorial Tablet

(high up on the ceiling)

Communal Praying Temple

(located about 200m away from the house, is a communal praying temple, where offerings are made on the main festivals ie. Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival etc)

this was the well that was built using $ sent home by Grandpa in the 60s. It dried up and they covered it up to prevent accident.

Now the underground water is drawn from this well, using a electrical pump. This water source is shared between the Goh and Lim villages.

Neighbouring houses in the Village

They still used fire woods found aplenty nearby

lychee trees, which fruit during July/August

the route to ??

authentic Hainam chickens

Going 'jungle trekking'
to do land surveying

Organic banana & papaya trees

Rubber tree saplings, which uncle will replant

Paddy field and coconut plantation

as far as eyes can see

2 years old rubber trees