Taiwanese Youth Crossing the Sea: Touching History, Gaining Friends, Breaking Imagination, Crossing the Sea | Taiwan | Youth

China News Service, Beijing, July 8th. Title: Taiwan Youth Cross the Sea: Touch History, Harvest Friends, Break Imagination

Author Zhu He

Entering the summer season, a group of Taiwanese youth with an average age of around 20 crossed the Taiwan Strait and embarked on a visiting journey on the mainland. Many of them came to Beijing for the first time.

On the 7th, the 20th Taiwan Youth Thousand People Summer Camp, hosted by the All China Taiwan Federation, ended its five-day trip to the Beijing headquarters. More than 200 young people from Taiwan went to Henan, Hebei, Shanghai, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and other places for sightseeing and exchange. Looking back at their trip to Beijing, the young people were interviewed and said that they had gained a lot.

On July 6th, Taiwanese youth climbed the Badaling Great Wall to take photos as a souvenir. Photo by Zhu He, journalist from China News Agency

Touching history: "I climbed the Great Wall"

"Shocking and spectacular," young people often exclaim as they walk into the Palace Museum and the Badaling Great Wall. Visiting museums and exhibition halls has also made many campers feel that they have filled in historical details.

"I can't walk when I see the Palace Museum's cultural and creative products," said Huang Xiaohui, a master's student in the Department of Labor at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, sharing photos of her purchased cultural and creative products on social media. The Palace Museum cat ornaments, refrigerator stickers with the words "Imperial Kitchen" printed on them, six contract spring keychains... all kinds of accessories filled two shopping bags, and she plans to keep some for appreciation and give some as gifts to friends.

This girl, who jokingly claims to be a "10th level scholar" in "Empresses in the Palace", believes that the Forbidden City is a historical site that needs to be carefully appreciated. She looks forward to the opportunity to visit the Yikun Palace and Jingren Palace that appear in the drama again.

On July 6th, Taiwanese youth took photos and checked in on the Great Wall. Photo by Zhu He, journalist from China News Agency

"I'm here for the Great Wall!" "I'm now a 'half hero', I want to conquer the Great Wall!" Standing on the Badaling Great Wall, the young people couldn't help but feel excited and experienced the feeling of being a 'hero'.

Taiwanese youth Huang Zhiwei said that the grandeur and steepness of the Great Wall are world-renowned, and it is truly worth the name upon visiting. He said that the Great Wall, known as a defensive fortification, was known from the past. The Ming Great Wall, where it is now located, has withstood the flames of war and smoke, and still stands firm. It is a continuation of Chinese culture and a reflection of national integrity.

Harvest friend: "Come to my hometown Kaohsiung to see"

Standing in front of the stone boats and Buddha Fragrance Pavilion in the Summer Palace, Wu Yixuan, a female student from the Finance Department of Taiwan Normal University, stood in a photo taking position. Yang Zhiwei, a student majoring in Tourism Management at Beijing Sport University, pressed the shutter button for her.

Like Yang Zhiwei, over a hundred mainland students from universities in Beijing volunteered to participate in summer camp activities. After five days of travel, Wu Yixuan, the "first tribe", and Yang Zhiwei, who had just met, became friends. In Yang Zhiwei's eyes, Wu Yixuan was lively, outgoing, and talkative; Wu Yixuan praised Yang Zhiwei's cuteness and believed that his peers in mainland China were "different from what he imagined". When he talked about food and movies and TV dramas, he quickly became acquainted.

On July 6th, Taiwanese youths Wu Youting and Zeng Junzhi showcased photos of themselves wearing costumes from film and television dramas. Photo by Zhu He, journalist from China News Agency

Wu Yixuan warmly invited Yang Zhiwei and said, "If you have the opportunity, you must come to my hometown Kaohsiung to see it.". Taipei University of the Arts student Jian Yujie also said that the mainland volunteers who visited together were friendly and responsible, and they had many resonance with each other.

Breaking Imagination: Understanding the Real Continent

Refreshing cognition and breaking imagination is one of the biggest feelings expressed by many young people during interviews. I have been exposed to a lot of negative information about the mainland in my daily life, but Liu Youkuan, a student in the Department of Political Science at Chung Cheng University in Taiwan, observed that young people balance information by not only reading traditional news, but also receiving information from social media and other online platforms.

Liu Youkuan said that many peers, like him, enjoy watching mainland video websites such as Bilibili and also follow mainland variety shows such as "Running Brothers". Brush Tiktok and small red books has also become a new habit for many people. "The continent presented by these media, with rapid infrastructure construction and distinctive landscapes, is a rapidly developing economy."

The visit itinerary also to some extent refreshed his imagination: mobile payments can be seen everywhere, and road traffic is orderly; People of the same age are enthusiastic and hospitable, and the campus is filled with a youthful atmosphere, without being described as "reserved" by the outside world. Before coming, Liu Youkuan didn't think about exchanging or further studying in mainland China. He said, "You can give it a try after this visit.".

Taiwanese ethnic minority male student Gao Jie and sister Gao Min from Fu Jen University participated in this summer camp together. In early June, Gao Jie and his partner represented the school to participate in the Cross Strait Dragon Boat Race in Jimei, Fujian. A few years ago, they went to Shenzhen to participate in a cross-strait baseball exchange activity.

This year, the destination of the siblings is Inner Mongolia, which is a gathering place for ethnic minorities. They are looking forward to experiencing the cultural styles of different ethnic groups and understanding how the local area can bring new brilliance to ethnic culture.

【