Shanxi opens arms to Taiwan people
An ancestral worship ceremony is held in Gaoping, Shanxi province, to pay homage to Shennong Yandi, on May 24. SUN HAO/FOR CHINA DAILY
A flagship initiative to foster cross-Strait ties brought more than 200 businesspeople and young people from Taiwan to Shanxi province in May, putting a spotlight on the expanding opportunities available to Taiwan people on the Chinese mainland.
Li Zheng-hong, president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, said that the mainland's high-quality development and favorable policies present plentiful opportunities for entrepreneurial young people from Taiwan.
Deng Chi-yung, 27, had been to the mainland a few times, but had never been to Shanxi until he joined the delegation.
This year's program brought Deng and his fellow delegates to places such as the Cross-Strait (Gaoping) Industrial Park, the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, the Guandi Temple and the Stork Tower.
He attended the cross-Strait compatriots folk exchange activity held in Gaoping city, which is considered the hometown of the legendary Shennong Yandi. Also known as the "Flame Emperor" or "Divine Farmer", Shennong Yandi is a foundational deity and mythological ruler in ancient Chinese culture.
To Deng and his fellow visitors, the trip was a pilgrimage of sorts fueled by a yearning to understand their roots. "We are one family sharing the same ancestry and a remarkably similar culinary heritage," Deng said.
In Gaoping, the visitors from Taiwan participated in an ancestral worship ceremony, paying homage to Shennong Yandi.
The ancient rites resonated deeply with Deng, sparking hope for peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait. "The mainland's economic and cultural development is changing rapidly," he said. "I want to take back my genuine experiences and vibrant impressions of Shanxi to Taiwan."
Ting His-ping, another young participant from Taiwan, was awestruck by her first glimpse of the Hukou Waterfall. "I had only seen the Yellow River in books and documentaries," she said. "But being here, witnessing its raw power, I truly understand the strength and spirit of the Chinese nation."
Chiang Kuo-liang, a businessman from Taiwan, felt a strong connection as he visited the Guandi Temple in Haizhou, Yuncheng. Yuncheng, in southern Shanxi, is the hometown of Guan Yu, also known as Guandi and considered the deity of loyalty and righteousness. It is the largest and earliest ancestral shrine dedicated to the deified military general from China's Three Kingdoms period (220–280).
"The spirit of loyalty and righteousness that Guandi embodies is woven into the fabric of daily life in Taiwan," he said.
Hung Wen-feng, the head of the delegation and chairman of the Association of Industry Alliance Development in Central Taiwan, added that loyalty and righteousness are the essence of the Guan Yu spirit and they are both spiritual assets of the Chinese nation and a shared value of compatriots on both sides of the Strait.
This sense of shared heritage resonated deeply with Tseng Po-hsun, an entrepreneur born after 2000. Two years ago, he left a stable job with Taiwan Railways and moved to Linfen in Shanxi to start an agricultural technology company.
Tseng chose to base himself in Shanxi because of the "vast entrepreneurial opportunities and practical policies" that support businesspeople from Taiwan. "The mainland offers a wealth of diverse opportunities; if you have a dream, you can find a stage here to showcase your talents," he said.
Wang Chengyu, director of the province's Taiwan affairs office, said,"Shanxi is committed to promoting economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between Shanxi and Taiwan to a wider, deeper and higher level."
Wang said that Shanxi is a place for young businesspeople from Taiwan to invest and start businesses."It's a home where our hearts resonate with each other," he said.
Zhang Aocontributed to this story.
Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn