To many, rurality means intimacy. The everyday direct interaction with the land, the ordinary place-based experiences with plants and animals, the intimate connection to seasonal food production inseparable from the nourishing river, sun, wind, and rainwater, as well as the human households shaped by ancestries, traditions, norms, obvious power imbalance, and oftentimes unavoidable tensions even in diaspora and migration.

To many, rurality means distance. Access to formal education through everyday long commute and later the boarding schools; separation and long-distance communication between family members who are variously overwhelmed by massive migration and urbanization; the information, technology, and health gaps; the social and psychological shame associated to rural birthplaces, and the subsequent detachments; the long socioeconomic ladders one might or might not end up climbing at home and in diaspora; the incredibly rich heritages and cultures on the one hand, and yet the societal underemployment and subordination on the other. 

Almost always, rurality represents a certain kind of uncertainty and ambivalence. Is my hometown even on the map? Who is more ‘urbanized’? When Chinese gendercreative youths express themselves on new media, how do they represent the rurality around them? Will new generations stay? Once they leave, will they come back? Can small farming be sustainable? Does ecotourism really bring hope? Does everyone welcome urban upper/middle class consumption? Is my ancient village becoming a Disneyland? How do people make a living through small business? How many clan temples remain? How do people view ‘higher’ education? How many borders do people cross? Why do people change their names? How many villages have disappeared, in migration, in memories, in meanings, if not already in physical space?

對許多人而言，鄉土是親密的關係。與土地的直接連結、與動物草木的日常相處、仰賴河流、陽光、季風與雨露的時令食物、以及盤根錯節的百姓人家 —— 當中存在密不可分的祖輩關係、名分、傳統、規範、明顯的權勢不均、

難免的爭執，在離散與遷徙中亦然。

對許多人而言，鄉土是遙遠的距離。從漫長的鄉間路到寄宿學校，通往正規教育的路途是如此之遠。長期分離的家人，雖能遠距離溝通，但在大規模遷徙與城鎮化的洪流中，早已顧此失彼。鄉村面臨著資訊、科技、醫療的種種落差。鄉村出身的人，帶著社會羞恥感，帶著近鄉情怯的疏離。在家鄉與他鄉之間，那一道道社會階層的長梯，是否早已不可企及。鄉村的風土文化從來豐厚，但卻在社會與就業環境中處於下風。 

鄉土總是充滿矛盾，孕育著不確定。我的故鄉在地圖上嗎？誰更「城市化」？ 性別自在多采的青年們，如何在新媒體上表達農村生活？新一代會離開農村嗎？一旦離開，還會回來嗎？小耕小作能持續嗎？生態旅遊真能帶來希望嗎？每個人都歡迎都市中產和富人來消費嗎？我的古村要變成供人嬉戲的「迪士尼」嗎？小生意如何維生？宗族祠堂還剩多少？鄉親如何看待「高等」教育？跨越邊界的又有多少人？改名者何故？又有幾多村落，消失在遷徙中，消失在記憶裡，失去心中的意義，連一磚一瓦也再難尋覓？

唐華

九饼 Joe Bing

鱼蛋佬 Fly 

何錦龍 Jin He

許美珍 Hannah Huie

許美琪 Maggie Huie 

蓝何梅嘉 Cynthia Mei Jia Lam

林振維 Chen Vui Lim

林思滴 Rachel Kara Lim

馬勻雅 Melody Yun Ya Ma

落合貝克非凡 Beck Feifan Ochiai 

蕭堯 Dr. Yao Xiao 

余兆昌 Paul Yee

周紫若 Nat Zhou

James Crookall

Jim Harrison, The Vancouver Courier

Major James Skitt Matthews

溫市檔案館 City of Vancouver Archives