Hometown Heritage Tour

Do you have a Cantonese ancestor but have never been to China? Do you want to know more about your Cantonese roots but don’t know where to start? Are you interested in learning more about overseas Chinese culture and heritage?

I organise and host the Chinese Australian Hometown Heritage Tour to Guangdong, China. The tour begins in Hong Kong and visits qiaoxiang (overseas Chinese hometown) districts in the Pearl River Delta. It is an introduction to qiaoxiang history, culture and everyday life, with a focus on Australia.

The tour is accompanied by an English-speaking guide and by two Australian historians, Dr Kate Bagnall and Dr Sophie Couchman. Tour arrangements are made through Active Travel, a reputable Canberra-based company specialising in small group travel.

The Hometown Heritage Tour visits:

  • ‘Australian’ villages in Xinhui, Kaiping, Taishan and Zhongshan
  • Cangdong village, a conservation and development project in Kaiping (with historical connections to Australia)
  • the UNESCO World Heritage-listed diaolou and villages in Kaiping
  • other heritage sites with overseas connections such as Chikan town (Kaiping), the Moy Family Compound (Meijia Dayuan, in Taishan), and Sunwen Road West (Zhongshan)
  • museums such as the Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum and the Zhongshan Museum of Xiangshan Commercial Culture.

Activities include:

  • talks about the history, culture, architecture and heritage of the places we visit, from your hosts and local experts
  • eating local foods, including countryside specialities
  • interaction with locals and experiencing daily life in the countryside.

March 2019 tour

Our third tour was held from 6 to 17 March 2019:

January 2018 tour

Our second tour was held from 14 to 24 January 2018:

March 2017 tour

Our first tour was held from 22 to 31 March 2017:

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Shekki (石岐), China, c.1932 (Agnes Breuer papers, courtesy Liz McNamee)

Due to Covid-19 plans for future tours are suspended indefinitely
Chinese Australian Hometown Heritage Tour

A cultural experience hosted by Kate Bagnall & Sophie Couchman

Hong Kong & Guangdong, China

6–17 March 2019

$5420 per person twin share
Single supplement: $1064

11 nights twin-share accommodation, land transportation, most meals, sightseeing and entrance fees

For itinerary, cost and other details see the 2019 tour brochure (pdf, 1.7mb)

For bookings and inquiries contact Active Travel
1300 783 188 | askus@activetravel.com.au