While it’s typical for Chinese families to keep a genealogy, world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma knew almost nothing about his family’s past. Then Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and his team of genealogists discovered that a past cousin of Ma's in China had hidden the family genealogy in a wall to save it from destruction during a time of political turmoil.

When Gates presents Ma with his archival Kolo Newport photo album filled with historical golden nuggets, he points out that they've traced his line back 18 generations to the year 1217. In fact, all the people with the surname Ma, through Yo-Yo Ma’s paternal line, can be traced back to one common ancestor who lived in the 3rd century BC. The more Ma learns of his past, the more he struggles to hold back tears.

Gates shows Ma his place on the family tree, and that of one of Ma’s ancient great-grandfathers, born in 1435:

There you are. There he is.

Ma laughs:

That’s amazing! I feel I’m in a Dickens novel!

Ma makes a gesture as if handing over a photo album, playfully mocking Gates for the profundity of his research, saying:

And here are your papers…

This series is worth time in front of the tube. In the U.S., the last two episodes of the four-part mini-series air tonight (Wed) and next Wed (March 3) on PBS. Check your local listings.

- Ugo