The 14th "Villages Sharing the Same Name, Hearts Linked as One" Friendship Event Kicks Off in Xiamen

June 17(Taiwan.cn)—The 14th "Villages Sharing the Same Name, Hearts Linked as One" Friendship Event themed "Shared Folk Customs from a Common Origin" officially opened in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on June 13. Nearly 300 guests, including villagers from cross-Strait villages bearing identical names and sharing ancestral roots, gathered to reminisce about their shared village names, trace their common origins, cherish hometown bonds, and discuss joint development.

The main event unfolded in three progressive chapters — "The Origin of Shared Village Names," "Common Roots and Folk Customs," and "United Aspirations Hand in Hand" — presenting touching stories of kinship and solidarity between Fujian and Taiwan villages with identical names and ancestral heritage.

A special cross-Strait cultural tourism route titled "Trace Ancestral Roots Along Highways," connecting Xiamen and Taiwan villages with matching names, was unveiled at the event. Threaded along expressways, the route connects numerous Xiamen villages that share names and ancestral lineages with their Taiwan counterparts, turning annual exchange activities into year-round cultural and travel experiences for visitors across the Strait. Multiple representatives from identically named villages in Fujian and Taiwan were appointed as cultural ambassadors and presented with official appointment certificates. In their role as hometown promoters, they will introduce the unique culture of shared-name villages to compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Beyond the main venue, a diverse outdoor folk culture experience zone created a festive immersive atmosphere. Attractions lined up for participants included a Nostalgia Post Office, traditional Chunzai flower hairpin craftsmanship workshops, cross-Strait traditional face-shaving folk experience booths, an exhibition of handwritten family letters from both sides of the Strait, and a special intangible cultural heritage display of palace lanterns. Clan members handcrafted auspicious keychains and faith badges, penned heartfelt messages to relatives at the Nostalgia Post Office, and many inscribed expectations on commemorative event T-shirts printed.

As a signature exchange initiative connecting clans from cross-Strait villages with identical names and ancestral ties, the "Villages Sharing the Same Name, Hearts Linked as One" Friendship Event has been held successfully for 13 consecutive years prior to this edition. Centering on the theme of shared folk customs, this year’s event builds bridges and bonds through traditional folk culture. It revisits the shared origins of villages with matching names across the Strait, embodies the blood kinship, national devotion and longing for reunion shared by compatriots on both sides, and jointly envisions a promising future of integrated cross-Strait development. （Jointly reported by Taiwan.cn and the Taiwan Affairs Office of Fujian）