Liu Deyao, a 107-year-old veteran living in Taiwan, returned to his hometown of Yiwu in Zhejiang province on April 4 to honor his ancestors during the Qingming Festival holiday.

Accompanied by family members from Taiwan, including his youngest son, eldest grandson, and granddaughter, Liu visited a cemetery in Juntang village, Houtai subdistrict, with relatives from Yiwu, including his 90-year-old younger brother Liu Deli, to pay tribute to his parents and grandparents.

Born in November 1920, Liu joined the army in 1937 at the age of 17 and took part in the defense of Hangzhou during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). He recalled that after fierce fighting during the Japanese attack on the city in December that year, his unit retreated across the Qiantang River and later moved west through other parts of China.

In 1949, Liu was taken to Taiwan and lost contact with his family on the mainland. He was not able to return to his hometown until 1987, after an absence of 38 years. By then, his parents had already died, and he had become the father of three children.

During this latest visit, relatives in Yiwu took him to the Yiwu International Trade Market. Liu said the changes in the city had far exceeded his expectations, adding that the Yiwu Railway Station was the most impressive station he had ever seen.

He now has a large family in Taiwan, where his wife, whose ancestral home is in Fujian province, is 101 years old. He said he hopes the family will be able to return to Yiwu together again.