After retiring, I came to live in Canada. While accompanying my daughter and nurturing my grandchildren, I felt a strong responsibility to help them understand their heritage. I want to use words to record our family's history, so that my grandchildren know their mother is from the Hakka community in western Fujian, China, and that they have Hakka ancestry. It’s important for them to understand Chinese culture and some stories about their relatives in China. The quiet and simple environment in Canada has shielded me from much external noise, allowing me to reflect on my journey, appreciate life, and ponder some questions I had never considered before.

　　I have organized and summarized my past decades of growth, learning, work, life, and family into twelve chapters. Through the process of transforming the passage of time and the memories that flow through my veins into words and pictures, I’ve made many unexpected discoveries. One of the most profound insights is my pride in being Hakka. As I mentioned in the first chapter, I deeply recognize that the Hakka culture that nurtured me is an important part of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. I take pride in being Hakka; every stage of my growth has benefited from the nurturing of Hakka culture, and the spirit of Hakka has accompanied me throughout my life's journey.

　　Thus, I titled my memoir “Walking with Hakka Spirit: Imprints of My Life.” Looking back on my forty years of marriage and family life, I have many reflections. My spouse and I started our family from scratch and raised our daughter through hardships; we honored our parents and supported our siblings, giving a lot along the way. I have come to realize that even simple happiness requires great effort to attain. I am grateful for life; although it was once difficult, it ultimately granted me a warm and harmonious home, allowing me to enjoy the joys of family alongside my daughter.

　　Reflecting on the Zhang’s family also gives me a new understanding and perception. The Zhang’s family has come from a difficult background to achieve a better standard of living, which is no small feat. The book records many stories of the Zhang’s family honoring their elders, helping each other among siblings, and caring for their younger relatives. I hope the Zhang’s family can inherit and promote these fine traditions to strengthen our family cohesion.

　　Recalling my childhood, I feel particularly grateful for my parents’ nurturing. I have documented my father's diligent teaching career in the book. This year, my father celebrates his ninetieth birthday, and I want to give him a surprise: dedicating this book to him as a birthday gift!

　　Looking back, at every stage of my life, I received much help from benefactors, for which I am especially grateful! At key moments in my development, the support of these benefactors was crucial, making my journey smoother. I will always remember this.

　　Through this book, I also hope to inspire my daughter Wenjing to love life more and cherish what she has. At the same time, I hope my descendants can understand their cultural heritage through this book and learn about their relatives in China, inheriting the excellent family values from them.

　　Benjamin and Charlie's grandfather, Zhang Huixiong, is a Hakka from Yongding District, Longyan City, Fujian Province, China. He graduated from Fuzhou University and was a geotechnical engineer before retiring as a government officer. He has four siblings: Zhang Huiyan, Zhang Huiping, Zhang Chunlan, and Zhang Lilan. Their great-grandfather, Zhang Guocai, graduated from Xiamen University and was also a geotechnical engineer; their great-grandmother, Huang Laiying, was a farmer. The family values of the Zhang’s family are “honesty and kindness, diligence and frugality, unity and friendship, love for the elderly and children.”

　　Benjamin and Charlie's grandmother, Wang Biyun, is also a Hakka from Yongding, Fujian. Wang Biyun is an economist and retired government officer. She has two brothers: Wang Jinwen and Wang Jinfeng, and one sister, Wang Suyun. Their great-grandfather, Wang Jinlu, was a teacher, and their great-grandmother, Huang Yueying, was a farmer. The Wang family is large and thriving.

　　Zhang Wenjing, the daughter of Zhang Huixiong and Wang Biyun, studied at the Jiageng College of Xiamen University and later exchanged to Saint Mary's University in Canada. After graduating, she settled in Halifax, Canada, and started a family. Wenjing's husband, Jordan, is Canadian and was her classmate in college. Wenjing and Jordan are the parents of Benjamin.Jordan Zhang-Farrell and Charlie.Xiong Zhang-Farrell.

　　Living in Canada over the years, I’ve noticed many differences in my daughter’s interracial marriage and family life, especially in communication. The family regularly uses English, Mandarin, and Hakka in their daily interactions. Although my grandsons, Benjamin and Charlie, speak good Chinese, they still have a long way to go in reading and writing. I hope they pick up this book and immediately understand what it is about and what it contains.

　　                                                                            Wang Biyun

　　 September 24, 2024, in Canada