Helen MacInnis holds baby Peter in front of a house in Kuliang, Fuzhou. CHINA DAILY

However, it was not until 2015 that MacInnis first visited Kuliang.

This visit ignited Elyn's interest in researching the area as she explored stories forgotten by time and distance, searching for the narratives of old Kuliang residents and their descendants who had traveled back from China to the United States and were now scattered across different states.

Through old maps, archives, photographs and memories, she began piecing together these disconnected tales, reconnecting them once more.

"When Elyn first began her interest in Kuliang, it was because that was part of my babyhood," Peter said. "But as she researched and met people — the true story of Kuliang, the people in Kuliang, the Chinese people and foreigners came out — it was very exciting to see what they did. That's really what has motivated Elyn, not just looking for a house or a pair of shoes, but actually looking at the people who lived there and what they did, their relationship with China, in particular, the friendship and caring that was going both ways back and forth."