Photo: VCG

The 14th Cross-Strait (Xiamen) Cultural Industries Fair (CCCIF) recently concluded in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province. The event showcased various cultural products and provided a platform for young talents from both sides of the Taiwan Straits to engage in cultural exchanges, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency.

This edition of the fair is the largest to date, with 2,327 participating companies and 4,200 booths, including 883 from the island of Taiwan representing nine cities and nine counties on the island, according to the report.

Wu Xiuqiong, a young designer from Taipei, brought her brand to the event. Her crafted products, themed around nature's mountains and seas, gained attention from numerous potential clients.

"The feedback received from businesses in the mainland serves as a driving force for us, designers from the island of Taiwan, to continue launching outstanding products," Wu told Xinhua.

Cao Shengyong, who first came to the mainland from Taiwan in 2015, is an operation manager at a Xiamen-based company. Cao told media at the cultural expo that youth play a pivotal role in cross-Straits communication. 

He noted that he hopes youth from Fujian and Taiwan can construct a more authentic and comprehensive understanding of each other through a diverse range of cross-Straits cultural exchange activities and achieve integrated development through their shared culture and language.

This event is one of many events that have been organized across the country in recent years with the aim of enhancing cross-Straits communication and sharing opportunities for development. Among them are the 2023 Cross-Straits Youth Summit, the 3rd Cross-Straits Youth Cultural Month and the 20th Taiwan Youth Summer Camp.

Just like Cao, many young people from Taiwan have ventured to the mainland for business and cultural exchanges.

Fan Jiangfeng, a young entrepreneur from Taiwan, shared with the Global Times his experience taking part in cultural exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in July. He runs an entrepreneurship base in Xiamen and has so far helped some 20,000 young people from Taiwan visit the mainland and facilitated the successful implementation of hundreds of entrepreneurial projects for Taiwan youth.

According to Fan, culture is the key to increasing a sense of identity among Taiwan's younger generation.

For Taiwan media personality Zhang Yijie, who is now based in Chengdu, the mainland city provided him a fresh start. 

"I found direction in my work here. I earned money and found my soulmate here. I'm now a son-in-law of Chengdu," said Zhang, who arrived in the mainland in 2018.

Zhang served as a volunteer during the just concluded Universiade in Chengdu, where he assisted the Chinese Taipei team. He transitioned from the fitness industry to becoming a blogger, with a focus on sharing the experiences of people from Taiwan living in Chengdu. His aim is to bridge the information gap between the two sides and enhance mutual understanding.

Another young individual from Taiwan, Lin Ziyou, who was chosen as the Universiade Citizen Ambassador and a city volunteer in 2022, has dedicated her time to promoting cross-Straits understanding. Lin arrived in the mainland eight years ago and chose Chengdu as her "lucky place" to establish an activity center, bringing cultural and educational programs from Taiwan to the mainland.

"I think a long-lasting and profound cross-Straits friendship will come from people from both sides. First we become familiar with each other, develop an intimacy, and then have pragmatic exchanges with each other," Lin told the Global Times, adding that she has a strong emotional bond with the mainland.