(Photo from Taiwan media)

Red flags flutter on an old street in Jinmen County, Taiwan, to welcome the New Year, according to CTnews, a Taiwan local newspaper.

On New Year’s Day, watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square is a must-do for many Chinese, while in parts of Taiwan, people raise the five-star red flag to welcome the New Year.

Built in 1924, “Model Street” in Jinmen features red tiles and good order. Both sides of the road are decorated with five-star red flags, the national flag of People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Tourists from both the mainland and Taiwan are attracted by the festive atmosphere and stop to take photos on the red-tile street.

The county of Jinmen is only about six kilometers east of the mainland city of Xiamen. Once a battlefront, it is now a trading and connecting point between Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

People across the strait are members of one family, said Ms. Yan, a Jinmen local working in Taiwan. Locals from Jinmen agree that both sides prefer peace. The “Model Street” helps boost ties between Chinese people from mainland and Taiwan.

“It’s so great,” said Huang An, a Taiwanese singer on his Weibo account. “Reunification is a natural trend and the common wish of Chinese people. The year 2018 is here, and the realization of reunification is closer.”

Reports about raising five-star red flags in Taiwan have been more frequent in the past two years, according to haiwainet.cn. A ceremony was held on the same day in 2017 in Zhanghua County, eastern Taiwan. Moreover, a political group supporting reunification decided to raise the five-star red flag every month since October 2014, and has held the ceremony for 28 times.

Visitors take photos on the old street in Jinmen. (Photo: Taiwan media)