At a time of heightened political friction across the Taiwan Strait, a monumental four-year grassroots project to bridge the lineage of 100,000 divided clan members is nearing completion in a small village in Fujian province — counting Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's own family among its historical branches.

In Xintian village of Pinghe, Fujian, the historical point of departure for generations of Chinese mainlanders moving to Taiwan, an eight-volume, co-compiled genealogy book will be unveiled this October.

For Lai Hanzhong, secretary-general of the local Lai Clan Association, the completion of this text is more than a historical record; it is an urgent reminder of shared identity.

"Every time our Taiwan compatriots visit, they bring their own branch genealogies to cross-check records with ours, searching for where they belong," Lai Hanzhong said.

It's estimated that over 60,000 descendants from the village now live in Taiwan.

Lai Hanzhong launched the mass genealogy project in 2022 in an attempt to piece together the Lai clan's history. He organized more than 100 local sages to compile a comprehensive genealogy.

The initiative quickly echoed across the water. Taiwan clan members eagerly joined in, establishing a team of 27 elders to gather historical data scattered across Taiwan and send it back to Lai Hanzhong.

After four years of collaboration, the eight-volume genealogy is nearing completion, with a grand presentation ceremony scheduled for October. A large contingent of Taiwan relatives are expected to attend.

Years ago, Lai Hanzhong visited the old residence of Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te in New Taipei City, meeting his relatives. "They strongly identified with their roots, openly acknowledging they are from Pinghe, and were very warm," Lai Hanzhong said of Lai Ching-te's relatives in Taiwan.

Standing inside the ancestral hall, Lai Hanzhong pointed to the family commandments carved on the wall.

"Our ancestral motto says: 'Children must be filial; those who are unfilial commit the greatest sin against nature'," Lai Hanzhong said, in the hope that Taiwan clan members remember these teachings.

"As Chinese people and descendants of the Lai clan, one must recognize their ancestors and possess a Chinese heart," he said. "I hope Lai Ching-te can refrain from saying things that hurt compatriots and please adversaries. I hope he can do more good for national reunification. This is the common aspiration of our entire clan and all mainland compatriots."

To Lai Hanzhong, the urgency of his work is best reflected in the younger generation of Taiwan compatriots, who often try to track down their roots guided only by the name Xintian carved on their families' ancestral spirit tablets.

Lai Hanzhong recalled a case in 2022 involving a young Taiwan woman surnamed Lai who was working in Beijing. With a centuries-old address provided by her father, she posted a plea for help on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. Netizens quickly guided her to Xintian village.

When she arrived at the ancestral hall, she was anxious. Her family records used the characters Shentian instead of Xintian, though both sound identical in the local dialect.

"She desperately wanted to know if her ancestor was in our genealogy," Lai Hanzhong said.

"I quickly found him: Dengfang, a 14th-generation ancestor of the Lai clan who migrated to Taiwan."

The woman instantly shared photos of the ancient page with her father via WeChat. "The emotion of that moment is still vivid in my mind," he said. "It showed that when young people from Taiwan find their roots, the excitement is truly unforgettable."

For members of the Xintian Lai clan on the island, the roots also manifest daily in a shared faith, such as the annual cultural festival honoring Emperor Baosheng, a revered deity of medicine and healing.

The incense used in Yuanbao Temple in Taichung, Taiwan, was originally brought from Xintian Temple, honoring the life-preserving deity in the Fujian village. In April, a 200-member pilgrimage group from Taichung traveled to Xintian to pay tribute.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn