Once upon a time, when the moon rise high above, children would gather around the old folks under the sprawling canopy. Some sit on bamboo stools, and others make do with the dirt mound. It is story time, and no one wants to miss a word.

Stories and remembered moments have always woven the connective ties between the tellers and the listeners. The Canopy is a gathering place where the tellings happen.

The first collection, “A Gentleman from Banyan City” is a kind of an origin story about the head of the Wang Family. It is based on the book that was printed and distributed to family members. The website is meant to keep it accessible, and as a holding place for subsequent translations and updates.

Meanwhile, through conversations on WeChat, more stories from family members continue to unfold. Like Grandfather Wang, their divergent journeys have been swept along by the tides of history. And yet each person has managed to triumph in his or her own unique way. These extraordinary stories, too, ought to be remembered and shared.

This is what Canopy is: a space where stories of our family are told, and passed on.

古早以前，清凉的月夜里，大树下总有群孩子围绕着老人听故事，他们有的坐在小竹凳上，有的干脆蹲在地上，就怕落了一个字。

往事和回忆，聊着聊着，就这么编织成无形的长线，把说的人和听的人拴住了，一家人就这么联结了起来。“苍穹”Canopy 也是树荫的意思，是听故事的好地方。

第一篇故事，“榕城君子王孝泉” 就是这么聊出来的。出书以后登上网站，可以广为流传，也可以继续编辑，甚至登载译文。

王家人还继续的聊着往事，并发现好些家人也和大家长王孝泉一样，生平经历不能脱离大时代的浪潮，虽然散居五湖四海，却也各凭胆识，追随理念，有过不凡的表现。这些故事都该流传下来。

期盼“穹苍”这片树荫能发挥这样的作用。