Reunion on Qingming

Life is a journey of endless departures and homecomings. This year, before the Qingming Festival, Liu Te-wen, chief of Xianghe village in Kaohsiung, has made several trips to the Chinese mainland.

He hopes to fulfill the wishes of more veterans who, after passing away in Taiwan, wanted to bring their ashes back to their mainland hometowns.

Since 2003, Liu has escorted the ashes of over 300 veterans back home to the mainland. He always carries a red backpack inscribed with the words "Taking you home".

Each time he lands at the airport, Liu carefully takes out the urn from his bag and places it on the ground to signify the deceased's return home. The urn, wrapped in red cloth, is a symbol of Liu's belief that homecoming is a joyous occasion.