Quanzhou a witness to long-lasting cross-Strait bond

Quanzhou, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province, has witnessed the long-standing bond of kinship between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

During an online activity to explore the vibrance of Quanzhou on Jan. 28, Chen Weiping, curator of the China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan Kinship in the city, shared his stories of witnessing the relationship between Fujian and Taiwan, and the cross-Strait bond.

Photo shows a scene from an online activity held to explore the vibrancy of Quanzhou, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province, on Jan. 28, 2024. (Photo/Zhang Jiuqiang)

Sharing the same roots, culture, and ethnic identity is an eternal theme of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the theme of exhibitions of the museum.

The museum houses an important artifact - an iron bell dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which was engraved with the names of 46 companies. It bears witness to the thriving trade between Fujian and Taiwan at that time.

Chen said the museum has so far welcomed over 750,000 visitors from Taiwan and received donations of over 6,800 artifacts from Taiwan compatriots.

"The cross-Strait bond is unbreakable and undeniable for both sides of the Strait. Telling the stories of our bond of blood and kinship is to safeguard our same roots; this is my wish and my responsibility," Chen said emotionally.

Chen Weiping, curator of the China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan Kinship.

In 2019, the museum launched a program for the urgent collection and research of family letters across the Strait. Each letter reflects the greater national interests and profound love for China.

In February 2022, Shi Mingfa, former curator of the National Taiwan Museum, sent a letter to Chen, asking if he could help find the pedigree of a family surnamed Liang in Tiantouzi, Zhanghua county of Taiwan. Chen and his colleagues helped fulfill Shi's wish.

"Culture represents the most fundamental, profound and enduring force. People in Fujian and Taiwan, who share similar mindsets, temperament, customs and an inseparable bond, must strive to make the common spiritual home for the Chinese nation more prosperous," Chen said, hoping everyone who visits the China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan Kinship, especially Taiwan compatriots, will find resonance and gain something meaningful.

Quanzhou was a global maritime trade center in the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site in July 2021.