A delegation of 40 students and teachers from seven Chinese mainland universities, who just concluded their exchange visit to Taiwan, has extended a warm invitation to their Taiwanese friends to visit the mainland and expressed their heartfelt hope of reconnecting with both old and new friends from Taiwan in the future.
The delegation completed their nine-day visit to Taiwan on Thursday. On Friday, the group of students and teachers participated in media interviews in Beijing, sharing their experiences from the exchange tour.
During their visit, which started on Nov. 27, they toured universities, historical sites, scenic spots, and sports, sci-tech, and cultural venues across the island, while actively engaging with locals throughout the trip.
The delegation, led by Qiu Yong, secretary of the Communist Party of China Tsinghua University Committee, made the trip at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.
Speaking at the farewell dinner on Wednesday, Qiu remarked on how the mainland students and teachers experienced both the deep bond between compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the unique charm of the island.
He called for more opportunities for young people on both sides of the Strait to learn from each other, increased efforts to strengthen the spiritual bond between mainland and Taiwan compatriots through Chinese cultural traditions, and enhanced cross-Strait educational cooperation.
The delegation included table tennis Olympic champion Ma Long, who studies at Beijing Sport University, and air rifle Olympic champion Yang Qian, from Tsinghua University, along with mainland students and teachers from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University, and Beijing Sport University.
"I believe even Ma Long himself did not expect table tennis to be so popular in Taiwan. We specifically arranged a table tennis exchange activity between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, where Ma Long and former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou opened the match. Personally, I am also a table tennis enthusiast. It shows that both sides of the Strait share a common cultural and historical background and have many similar preferences and interests in many aspects, " said Qiu.
The visit has also fostered personal connections. Peng Yihang, a Tsinghua University student, received many small gifts from people in Taiwan before her departure, which deeply touched her.
"(A friend) gave me a coin from Taiwan, and at the time, I was a bit puzzled and asked if the coin was for buying milk tea. Later, when I read his letter, I understood that the pronunciation of 'five yuan' in the Minnan dialect is actually very similar to that of destiny in Mandarin. I believe it signifies that 'fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be,' and I hope we can meet again," said Peng.
Minnan dialect, or Hokkien, is a language widely spoken in southern Fujian Province and parts of Taiwan in China and in many overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asian countries.
It was the second such visit organized by the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan.
In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also led youth groups from Taiwan on visits to the mainland.
Delegation of mainland students, teachers invites Taiwan compatriots to make cross-Strait visit
