On this year's Qingming Festival, a foreign relative joined the ancestor worship team of the Cai family in Lixi Village, Banfu Town. Mel Chong, 81, specially traveled back from Australia to Zhongshan for tomb-sweeping activities.

Mel's grandfather Cai Dechang passed away in Australia, and the tombstone bears the name of his hometown Yuejiao, a natural village in Lixi. "I have never experienced ancestor worshipping on Qingming Festival in China before," said Mel. "I feel as if I have became a complete Chinese person for at least one day."

Walking in the parks and village roads of Lixi, Mel was deeply impressed by the tremendous changes in rural areas by comparing the photos he took during his previous visits to his hometown the past 40 years. "The house-shaped tree where my grandfather told me and the ancient well my father mentioned are still here, but the buildings, roads and the landscape are much more beautiful. The greatest change is the people here, and they are now more confident!"

Mel and his friends Anna Tan learn to make glutinous rice dumplings under the guidance of villagers.

The fruits of labor become gourmet dishes.

A taste of the freshly baked Luanxi cakes.

Carrying the large roasted pig up the mountain.

Mel and his family climb over three hills to worship their ancestors.

Mel reverently offers incense to his ancestors.

Mel laughs when sharing the roasted pig. (Photo by Ming Jian and Yu Zhaoyu)