Two 'feud villages' in Shantou, Guangdong, China, have reconciled, breaking the century-old taboo of not interacting or intermarrying that has persisted since the late Qing Dynasty.
According to combined reports from Jimu News and Guangzhou Daily, representatives from Xianmencheng Community and Shenxi Community in Xiangcheng Town, Chaonan District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, solemnly exchanged plaques of 'Good Neighborliness and Friendship' on June 3, forming amicable neighboring villages.
It is reported that the historical feud between Xianmencheng and Shenxi dates back to the late Qing Dynasty. Over a hundred years ago, Xianmencheng and Shenxi erupted in fierce conflict over water resources, building an invisible barrier ever since, with an ancestral motto of 'no intermarriage, no interactions' passed down through generations.
Liu Yongwu, the Party Secretary of Shenxi Community, stated that this obsolete regulation has led to restrictions on villagers' marriages, hindrances in economic and cultural exchanges, and even impacted business cooperation among fellow villagers living outside.
Zhao Yuanting, the Party Secretary and Director of the Residents' Committee of Xianmencheng Community, said that they previously worked on mediating with people from Hong Kong and local and expatriate community leaders to resolve the century-old grievances.
Zhao Yuanting stated that after the reconciliation between the two communities, villagers can now intermarry, and community leaders living outside can interact with each other, using the opportunity to cooperate in business.
The two communities will jointly invest over 3 million RMB (176,660 Malaysian Ringgit) to establish a regular and effective cleaning mechanism, working together to create a clean and beautiful green home. They will also transcend geographical boundaries to integrate and upgrade the Xianhu Scenic Area and Shenxi Cuifengyan Scenic Area, jointly developing the 'Cuihu Tourist Zone'.