Trace the footsteps of overseas Cantonese, Toisanese, Kaipingese and Hakka (in Hong Kong). Designed for overseas Chinese and those interested in Southern Chinese culture and history.
Start in Hong Kong where we'll explore ancient Hakka and Cantonese villages in the New Territories. We'll then delve into the heart of Cantonese culture in Guangzhou, savoring renowned Cantonese dishes and exploring ancestral temples, Lingnan style gardens, and historical business districts. Our journey continues to Jiangmen (Kongmoon), Taishan (Toisan) and Kaiping (Hoiping), which are historically some of the largest sources of Chinese immigrants to North America in the 19th–20th centuries. There we will visit iconic UNESCO World Heritage diaolous, multi-story residential watchtowers built by overseas Chinese returnees.
Watch Our Taishan and Kaiping YouTube videos.
Don't see a departure date that works for you? Email us at hello@fromrootstobridges.com and we will set up a custom departure date for you!
Day 1: Arrival in Hong Kong SAR
Day 2: Hong Kong SAR
Day 3: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Day 4-5: Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Day 6-7: Shunde & Foshan, Guangdong, China
Day 8-9: Taishan, Kaiping, and Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
Day 10: Return to Hong Kong SAR
Grace & Yongjian will accompany you on entire experience (except to/from airport and during free time).
For all our experiences, we strive to pick accommodations that are clean and authentic. Costs differ for single and double occupancy.
For any sites mentioned in the itinerary that require an entrance ticket, the cost of the ticket for each traveler will be covered. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
All overland transportation, including high speed trains, buses, and rideshares.
To remember your trip, you will receive a From Roots to Bridges themed goodie bag!
REQUIRED for every traveler
Each traveler is responsible for determining if they need the tourist visa
Get oriented on Day 1 in Hong Kong. Because travelers will be arriving at various times throughout this day, this is a free day to rest, get settled, and explore the city on your own.
Recommended Activities: Take the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak, take a stroll along the Avenue of Stars, visit the Hong Kong Museum of History to view the exhibit: “Multifaceted Hong Kong” Exhibition Series: Sojourning in Gold Mountain – Hong Kong and the Lives of Overseas Chinese in California, and visit the Temple Street Night Market.
In the evening, we will all meet for a welcome dinner and get to know each other as a group.
On Day 2, we will take a ferry to Lai Chi Wo to visit one of the most historical and well-preserved Hakka settlements in the New Territories. The area houses a series of some of the oldest Hakka settlements, which have been inhabited for over 400 years during the Ming Dynasty. In Lai Chi Wo, we will learn about the Hakka people who migrated to Hong Kong and hike to three different villages: Lai Chi Wo 荔枝窩, Mui Tzi Lam 梅子林, and Kop Tong 蛤塘.
Enjoy a family style lunch at a local village restaurant and sample traditional Hakka dishes such as braised pork and yellow wine chicken.
In the afternoon, we will cross the border to Shenzhen. After a long day of hiking, we will enjoy a premium spa experience with an all you can eat buffet.
Morning: Welcome to Mainland China! We start in Shenzhen, a city that transformed from a fishing village into a global center of technology, manufacturing, commerce, and commerce following its designation as China’s first Special Economic Zone in 1980.
We'll begin the day with a local Cantonese breakfast of Dim Sum. We will help you in getting set up with local SIM cards and payment applications for easy connectivity throughout your China journey.
Afternoon - Exploration & Shopping: Experience modern Shenzhen firsthand. We will visit the renowned MixC mall, a premier shopping destination. Here you can explore luxury brands (tax-free for eligible visitors), and perhaps browse its famous bookstore, an architectural and cultural landmark.
Evening: Enjoy dinner in Shenzhen. We will take a comfortable high-speed train (approx. 1-hour journey) to Guangzhou. Upon arrival, we will check into our hotel for a great night's rest.
Morning: Start the day with a classic Dim Sum feast in the historic Liwan District. After breakfast, take a stroll through Liwan (Lychee Bay) Park to observe local life, architecture, and culture in the city's historic heart.
Late Morning: We will visit the Liwan Museum to learn more about this historical business district of old Guangzhou. Continue to Yong Qing Fang, one of the city's most historic neighborhoods and home to Bruce Lee’s ancestral home.
Afternoon: Visit the enchanting Shamian Island, where colonial architecture tells the tale of Guangzhou's past as a concession port. Later, continue to Beijing Road and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees.
Immerse yourself in the pinnacle of Cantonese craftsmanship at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (陈家祠). This magnificent complex is renowned for its breathtaking wood, stone, and brick carvings.
Stroll through the adjacent Shanxiangjiu Pedestrian Street, a modern area infused with traditional Lingnan architectural elements.
Explore Yuexiu Park, the city's largest green space. Here, you can see a preserved section of Guangzhou’s ancient city wall, visit the Five Rams statue (the city's emblem), and enjoy the tranquil lakes and gardens.
Optional Cultural Experience: For those interested, we will explore Xiaobei, a vibrant neighborhood known for its diverse African and Middle Eastern communities. This is a chance to take a break from Cantonese cuisine and sample authentic other regional and international dishes, such as Xinjiang-style lagman noodles, offering a glimpse into Guangzhou's dynamic, multicultural spaces.
Visit Foshan, a historic city renowned as the "Cradle of Cantonese Culture," "City of Martial Arts," and a major ancestral homeland. It boasts millions of overseas Chinese descendants worldwide.
Watch a traditional and vigorous Lion Dance performance at Zumiao, an ancient temple complex dedicated to the Northern God.
In the afternoon, Explore classical Lingnan garden design at Liangyuan (Liang’s Garden), one of Guangdong's four famous classical gardens. Afterwards, we will stroll through Qiandenghu (Thousand Lantern Lake) park, a beautiful public space.
Enjoy a special dinner with local friends to connect with the community. After dinner, we will explore the vibrant Lingnan Tiandi pedestrian street, a beautifully restored area of Foshan's old town blending historic architecture with modern life.
We travel to Shunde, now a district of Foshan, famed as the ancestral hometown of Bruce Lee. It is another important overseas Chinese region, with diaspora communities in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, India, and the Americas.
Walk along the historic Daliang Huagai Pedestrian Street and sample local Shunde delicacies such as double-skin buffalo milk pudding. Shunde is also known as the chef capital of the Guangzhou region. We will visit the Shunde Food Museum to learn about the history behind the region's legendary culinary arts.
Put your new food knowledge to the test with a lavish dinner to savor legendary Shunde delicacies, which may include Shunde-style sashimi (鱼生), delicate fish hot pot, and the world-renowned Shunde roast goose.
We will start the day by visiting the Jiangmen Overseas Chinese Museum. Jiangmen is historically one of the largest sources of Chinese immigrants to North America from the 19th to the 20th century. If you trace your ancestry to Taishan or Kaiping, this is a perfect opportunity to dive deeper into your family history.
After lunch, we will visit Cangdong Village, an important overseas Chinese village with residents who have immigrated to the US and Canada since the late 19th century. We will enjoy a local meal cooked by villagers at a farm restaurant while learning about Kaiping culture and its history of overseas migration. We will also visit the Cangdong Heritage Education Center, a joint initiative by Wuyi University and Stanford University to promote the cultural heritage of local village life and the role of Overseas Chinese in the Pearl River Delta.
For the rest of the afternoon, we will drive around Kaiping, where we will visit the Kaiping Diaolou (including Zili Village and Li Garden). These fortified towers were built by wealthy overseas Chinese to protect their families while they were abroad and are now designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
On the second day of our road trip, we will continue our journey exploring overseas Chinese heritage in the Taishan region.
We will meet with a a fourth-generation descendant of a Chinese Cuban American immigrant and the founding curator of his family's diaolou museum. He will give us an exclusive tour of his family's diaolou and share stories from his family's immigration.
In the afternoon, we will visit historical sites in Taishan, including the iconic Meijia Dayuan (梅家大院) and Haikou Village, where millions of overseas Chinese began their journeys abroad. We will visit a series of villages, schools, mansions, and diaolou towers built by the diaspora and learn more the legacies that they have left that continue to this day.
In the evening, we will dine at a local Taishan restaurant housed in a restored schoolhouse donated by overseas Chinese. We will try local specialties such as Taishan yellow eel claypot rice and five flavored goose.
And that's a wrap! After brunch, take a bus from Taishan back to Hong Kong. Option to select a bus that goes directly to Hong Kong International Airport.
Not returning to Hong Kong? Please inform us in advance.
