Leaves wither and fall on the ground by the tree roots. This metaphor implies that all creatures have an old home to return to even after a long sojourn in distant parts. It expresses nostalgia for one’s native place that has been common among Chinese people since ancient times. Although such feelings are inevitably conservative, they embody people’s good and honest love for their native soil and next of kin, and their feelings for the nation. It is a mainspring of their identification with their culture.

Clouds float leisurely, forgetting to rise from the peaks, / leaves fall happily seeking the roots. (Lu You: A Sigh at Home)