Chien said his mother was 96 when she last returned home to visit her relatives.

He said his mother used to speak with a Huangpi accent, and when she had nothing to do, she always talked about things from her hometown.

"As my mother got older, she forgot many things, but her concern for her hometown never changed," Chien said.

Although they left home at a very young age, Chien said their mother's attachment to their hometown influenced him and his siblings.

"When I was young, my mother often made fishballs and meatballs for her children. When I returned to my hometown many years later, I realized that these are famous Huangpi cuisines," he added.