11 Nov 2025 – LAM Ancestral Hall Official Opening
Fri: took off at 0400hrs instead on 03.55, 30mins delay from SIN/T1 on a full-plane with a pax who was sneezing&sniffing beside me – kept my mask on being aware to not touch my face, only time the mask was off was when meal was served! Hope that whatever bugs&germs will stay away from me.
Arr into CAN-airport 30mins late and was driven~1hr30min to the hotel in smooth light traffic. Group on sight-seeing all day, had a good rest and met for dinner. Nice to catch up with cousinLinda&Alfred,Candice+her twins/3yrs still quite a handful! Finally got to meet cousinIrene after being online with her the past few years!! The rest of the group are either related on the maternal or paternal side of Linda&Irene or friends. Remona&Renee are sisters, Rose, the first Asian-judge in CA, Mona&Rick, Irene’s friends&donars for this project; Art/only one from the E-US-Coast is related to Irene on her maternal-side, the others are from CA/USA.
Sat: early hotel breakfast starting the day paying respects with the rituals@LAM-Twin-Masions – sadly the deteriorations here like that of the pavilion on the pond are even worse than when I last visited in 2011.
Was thrilled to see that there are still some ppl living and sustaining some of their needs around this neighbourhood – have been informed that they might be distantly related?
TwinMansions built by&for grandfatherLAM SongKee and granduncleLAM JiChiew must have been quite something in their heydays – pix taken from the back-court-yard where the foundation of the still existing sealed-well. The other pix is from the front belcony with the metal roller-doors there to protect further plunderers,squatters, etc who already have done enough damges but thanks to the related LAM-family in Jiangmen for trying their best to keep these building as best as they are able.
Not possible to snap a full frontal-shot blocked by other buildings,etc – the contrete-wall outside and from the mansions are about the best I can do from the front.
Hopefully our prayers&rituals+whatever help we are able to reach out to restore these beautiful buildings to be used for some good purposes too – have been informed that these 2jars contain the remains of our ancestors? better shots of them in my previous 2009&2011 visits.
~1+hr drive to 赤坎Chikan Old Town ~700yrs old charming village despite the touristy sections. It is officially designated as a National Historic & Cultural Town of China 中国历史文化名镇
WontonSoupLunchCNY22 ChenPeiCoffee, good but not wise for me with caffeine in the afternoon(paid for it with a restless sleep!), and my clothes also enjoyed nearly a full cup here; better smell than sweat-body-odour, will not forget Renee – hahaha. Would like to visit here again if in the area and when focus is not on the ancestral hall.
Musical afernoon under the bamboos, delicious village-food dinner@Selia’s village, famous for their ChenPi陳皮sun-dried mandarin orange peel used as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking and traditional medicine. Will be getting some for sisJo and for myself. https://www.thehongkongcookery.com/2016/11/how-to-make-chen-pi-dried-mandarin-peel.html
Back to the hotel by 20.00hrs to catch up with Johnny – thank you for taking time from YangjangCity ~150+k /1hr+ on the train ~13yrs since we last met!
Sun: a very auspicious&special day with the official opening of the DexunLinAncestralHall/LAM-AncestralHall
Appreciations for this informative&useful brochure. Here with a niece?/SIN+2cousinsLinda&Irene/CA,USA from LAM JiChew’s branch and the 3LAM-brothers/Jiangmen,China
Sealing the mouth of the dragon, the final step in this restoration and now the Grand Opening.
Heartfelt thanks to ALL who contributed in any&everyways to the LAM-Ancestral-Hall making it a place where ppl can today use as their CommunityCentre for arts,culture,education,etc.
Lunch was delicious despite being served under a hot day at the now MartialArtsSchool.
Tkx to Johnny for the video of my thankU-speech and for many of the pix he has taken.
Back to the hotel for a short needed rest. Now in place at the ancestral altar are our great-grandfather,grandfathers,my fatherLAM TinYue天與/Generation23 according to LAM-family-records there +5 of his cousins tablets reminding us to keep the family’s slogan –
Honour and Bequeath the Virtue of Kindness
Mon: LAM-Clan-Connections with LAM JingBo/AntiqueDealer+President and other leaders of the LAM-Clan-Assc for interesting history/stories&info, etc. Appreciations to a delicious lunch with some of the best veggie tasted.
Relaxing short afternoon walk with perfect weather in the hotel neighbour. Got to see the room’s view at ground level which was misleaidng thinking a walk over that bridge would bring me to some green-park, no such luck – no entry further when you get to the top of that bridge!
North-E-Style-PekingDuck dinner at some mall – preference to our SIN@ImperialTreasurePekingDuck.
Apprecations with thanks to Wendy for getting all the logistic running amoothly and to SeliaTan whose amazing connections&knowledge in this area got our ancestral-hall where it is today.
ThankU to WandaRealm for this comfortable stay, good hard beds and bathroom with a bathtub+monsoon shower. Ending this trip with a precious shot of grandfather Alfred with his grandson Zack showing just how tiring it can be for us Seniors traveling with kids and not forgetting jetlag on top of everything…
Tue: dark&early wake up call 03.30hrs for my 04.00 driver to pick me catching the 08.15 again a full flight from CAN back to SIN on schedule. Like the idea of these NapCabins and mobile-luggage which are probably out of my budget.
Nice to see some mts in the background@CANairport today, the air have not been at its best the past few days in Jiangmen.
Such an exciting&overwhelming trip to reflect upon and with visitors+preparations for LongDistanceHike presentation@Campers’Corner this Sat, will take my time to slowly edit this post uploading with more pix when&if the others will share,,,
