Lin Chin-yuan traces the roots of his family to Zhangzhou's Pinghe county in Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With help from local authorities and organizations, historical materials were checked, and further searching eventually led Lin to his ancestral home - Anhou town in Pinghe county.

He visited the town in June to pay his respects to his ancestors. There he placed a video call to his grandfather in Taiwan. "We couldn't hold back our tears," Lin said.

"I don't have any language barriers when I communicate with relatives in the town. And I eat food exactly like what my grandma cooks in Taiwan," he added.

Young people should pay more respect to their ancestors to draw wisdom from family customs and precepts, Lin said, adding: "Only when you have roots are you able to grow into big trees."

Lin is currently general manager of a tourism company based in Pingtan. The company has 16 staff members and has developed tourism projects in several counties in Fujian.

"We plan to renovate old houses in villages for rural tourism and add vigor to the villages," he said.