This map illustrates the townships where my paternal and maternal families are from. While I was growing up, I thought that my family village was TOI SHAN. That was the one phrase that stood out to me since I heard it often enough to associate it with family.
It was not until attending Chinese American Genealogy workshops (which are self-organized by a dedicated, informed, and wonderful group of Chinese Americans experienced in tracing their lineage and ancestral homes - more on that in another posting), that I started to pay closer attention to the geography of the Pearl River Delta Region and I realized TOISHAN is a COUNTY near CANTON CITY/ GUANGZHOU and made up of townships.
I finally learned the names of the towns where my parents’ villages are located. It wasn’t “TOI SHAN” - what I had grown up thinking it was. I’ve highlighted the two townships where my parents are from - Dajiang & Duhu - both located within Toi Shan County. ■