NHKワル─ドプレミアル電視頻道，有個介紹找尋祖先過往ファミリ─ヒストリ─(Family History)節目，在星期五晚上沒事時，老喜歡看這抽絲剝繭溯本追源的家族故事介紹。

(清水觀音廟紫雲巖)

  約一個多月前，在專門寫些日本同志社校友的部落格欄目突然來了一封留言，說是同志社校友的兒子旅居美國多年將回台省親，但，由於離台太久，所有親戚不僅沒連繫了，連返故鄉之路也記不清了。

  當我仔細再一看，乖乖？此位蔡先生竟然是我的同鄉，且八代之前的大陸祖先亦同一血脈！

  既然有著八竿子都打得著的關係，OK，非常樂意權充一次”阿亮哥出任務”的蔡蟳，帶著他們家人往台中清水前去尋找『故鄉情』再續『親戚緣』，結果……山窮水盡疑路柳暗花明又一村，也讓蔡先生一家人對『Identity』及『家族の絆』(家庭紐帶)再給接上了。

(清水紫雲巖---觀音廟後花園記述蔡家當年捐輸的石碑) 

  以下是蔡先生返美後所寫之文章，徵得他本人之同意原文照登。

Chi Tsai 

6:19 (1 小時前)

寄給 我、 Sue

Trace the Root

Trace the Root is a very curious andinteresting thing. From the network I got a lot of advantages, I began tosearch for the origin and ancestry in Taiwan and hometown of Chingshui atTaichung. This is my first time to see a very detailed where many attractions,including my grandfather's 17th generation ancestors plaque and inscriptionrecords engraved on the stone, describes a social exchanges and contributionsof its contemporary society and status.

We walked up the slope to a temple. Thetemple is very famous in the town, called Ziyunyan. Ziyunyan is located in thetown at Aofong foothills, the main hall for the two-story buildings, both sideeach had a bell tower. The temple roof is covered golden yellow glazed tiles,the main hall of the Goddess of Mercy, the Qing period of Tongzhi third year,had written ancient words on plaque "mercy protect  soldiers at war". There is a gardenbehind the main hall, year 34th of Qianlong period, the temple embankmentrebuilt monument. This is my great-grandfather's cousin Tsai Minnan ancestor herepaired dikes and protecting the flood relief stele records. It isconsiderable a important historical monument.

We Read following signs and walking alongthe street, the first street to the Spring Creek, which was an early era publiclaundry and social place. Today it is still flowing clean spring water, freshwater flows slowly. It seems to imagine life returning back to this smallancient town at Aofong hill. We continued to read roadside billboards, oldphotos of the story, also shows the history of water. These photos showed thescenery, the social life of harmony and symbol of happiness at that time.

This is a trip of Trace Root, I must thankthe leader of enthusiasm guy, Mr. Tsai Youyi, he is my cousin ofeighth-generation descendant of a common ancestor. At a young age he had livedin the town of Chingshui, therefore very familiar with this legendary story. Heis also a writer, he graduated from Doshisha University in Japan studyingdiamond jewelry as a professional, verification experts. This trip is on theway from Hsinchu where he lived to Chingshui, to visit all the relatives, phonecalls, one by one, never say tired. He was happy to welcome us and explain my grandfathercoordinated to construct Chingshui the first Presbyterian Church. He took us tosee the Church, it is just in reconstruction. The trip is so rich and happy,our last stop is in Tsai Memorial Hall for a moment, watching the outdoor walland gate, old preservation iconic building, above the side door to write thewords "I also read the book" let me ponder the meaning of the word,as it said: "I read the book to learn." this means that the era ofpeople, reading is important. Thus, its asset can be saved to protect andretained to the present.

我愛清水

  尋根是一個很好奇和有趣的事情。從網絡中我得到了很多的優勢，搜索我的祖先在台灣和他的家鄉台中清水和傳奇，這是我第一次非常詳細的在那裡看到許多景觀，包括我的17世祖父先輩們牌匾，以及碑文記錄刻在石碑上，描述了許多當代社會的交流和貢獻。

  我們沿著斜坡步行到一個寺廟，這個神廟在清水鎮非常有名，叫紫雲巖。紫雲巖位於清水鎮鰲峰山麓，正殿為兩層樓建築，左右各有一座鐘樓，廟頂為金黃色琉璃瓦，正殿主祀觀音菩薩，殿內有清同治3年書「慈庇兵戎」之古匾一座，正殿後方有花園一座，園中立有乾隆34年所立的古碑及廟後堤防重修紀念碑一座，這就是我曾祖父的堂兄蔡敏南先輩，修復堤防協助救濟洪水的石碑記錄，頗具歷史意義。

  沿街步行繼續看下去，到清水第一條街泉水溪，這是早期公共洗衣服和社交會面的地方。今天它仍然流出乾淨的水，清水緩緩流動，看到它似乎重返回到牛罵頭，鰲峰山那個時代的生活。看了路邊的看板，老照片的故事也說明清水的歷史，這些照片景色表明了當時生活社會和諧，幸福快樂的象徵。

  這一次專訪清水，我必須感謝帶領我尋根遊歷的人，蔡有義先生，他也是我的第八代同一個祖先的後代，在年輕時代他曾住在清水鎮因此非常熟悉這個古鎮和傳奇人物的故事。

  他也是一位作家，他曾在日本同志社大學讀書是鑽石珠寶專業人才，驗證專家。此行都是他一路帶領從新竹到清水，拜訪所有的親戚，打電話，一個接一個，從不說累。他也很高興歡迎我們並講解我的祖父召集建造清水當時第一個長老教會的經過，並帶我們去看那教會，剛好它在重建中。

  此次的專訪是如此豐富及歡喜，最後一站我們在蔡家祖厝，宗祠紀念館停留片刻，觀看室外舊門牆的保存具標誌性的建築，側門上方寫的四個字"還讀我書"，字的含義讓我深思，它表示:"我回到書裡來學習"這意味著那個時代的讀書人和對社會影響的力量。因此，它可以保存保護及保留到現在。

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(蔡家宗祠 清水著名蔡源順的九老爹舊宅---還讀我書的橫幅)