Tourists enjoy the scenery at the Huangshan Mountain scenic area in East China's Anhui Province, on July 30, 2024. Huangshan Mountain, also known as Yellow Mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering an area of 1,200 square kilometers and is famous for its peculiar shaped rocks, cloud-shrouded peaks, pine trees and hot springs. Photo: VCG

Following earlier entry promotions at over 1,200 mainland tourist sites for Taiwan residents, hundreds of scenic spots across the Chinese mainland will offer one-year free entry for Taiwan compatriots who are first-time holders of the mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

"We warmly welcome our compatriots from Taiwan to travel to the mainland and are pleased to see that more scenic spots on the mainland are offering preferential measures for Taiwan residents, continually enhancing their travel experience," spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said.

Some 70 national 5A tourist attractions and 725 4A scenic spots, including the Hulunbuir Grasslands in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Longmen Grottoes in Central China's Henan Province, and the Shenyang Palace Museum in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, have joined the list in offering free admission to ­Taiwan residents, according to Zhu. 

Zhu Songling, a professor of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the new favorable initiative will boost cross-Straits cultural exchanges. "The new move is a boon for cross-Straits tourism, and will draw more Taiwan residents to gain firsthand experience of the natural beauty and cultural heritage in the mainland. It's also good news for people from across the Straits who are promoting exchanges," Zhu noted. 

Until now, nearly 2,500 mainland spots have provided entry promotions for Taiwan residents holding newly issued travel permits. Visitors can obtain up-to-date information about ticket fee reductions and exemptions through the websites of these scenic areas, entrance signs and relevant travel agencies. 

The directory for the second batch of scenic spots (5A- and 4A-rated) offering promotional activities will be published on the official WeChat account of the Taiwan Affairs Office. 

In September, a total of 1,256 scenic spots across the mainland were offering one-year free admission to Taiwan residents who hold the travel permit for the first time, said Chen Binhua, another spokesperson at the Taiwan Affairs Office.

The Chinese mainland has recently introduced several favorable initiatives aimed at attracting tourists from Taiwan, as part of broader cross-Straits exchange efforts.

On Tuesday, East China's Fujian Province announced a new tourism initiative allowing Taiwan residents with travel permits to access several scenic areas in Putian city free of charge. In addition, Fujian has established awards to incentivize local tourism operators. Companies that bring in Taiwan tourists to Wuyi Mountain will be eligible for cash awards, with top performers receiving up to 80,000 yuan ($11,200) annually based on the volume of visitors they attract.

Zhu Fenglian said that the mainland supports cultural exchanges across the Straits and encourages people from both sides to jointly promote Chinese culture at cultural events, such as the first Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit in Beijing and the 15th Cross-Strait (Xiamen) Cultural Industries Fair. Set to be held in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province from Thursday to Sunday, the fair will feature activities such as dialogues among folk artists from across the Straits.