Taiwan's youth delegation wraps up mainland visit

JINAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A group of 30 young people from Taiwan wrapped up their eight-day visit to the eastern province of Shandong on Friday.

They set off from Taiwan on March 28, participated in a cross-Strait Confucius cultural exchange event, and visited places including Tai'an and Zaozhuang.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation in Taiwan, led the delegation.

During the visit, the delegation visited the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, where they paid respects to the ancient Chinese sage Confucius.

A Taiwan youth participating in the ceremony told Xinhua that people usually pray for success in exams and academic progress at the Confucius Temple in Taiwan. This time, he prayed for realizing his dream of becoming a civil engineering technician.

Traditional sacrificial activities such as those honoring Confucius and the Yan Emperor are shared spiritual bonds for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, carrying deep emotional significance and playing a crucial role in strengthening cross-Strait relations, said Hsiao.

He emphasized that this shared cultural understanding demonstrates the inseparable cultural ties between the two sides. "No matter how external forces may try to interfere, this inherent and close connection cannot be severed," he said.

As the visit coincided with the approach of the Qingming Festival, the delegation attended a flower-wreath-presenting ceremony at the Taierzhuang War Memorial Hall in the city of Zaozhuang.

Hsiao and the young participants laid flowers at a monument commemorating the Battle of Taierzhuang, the first major Japanese defeat during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in tribute to the war heroes.

They also visited a cross-Strait themed park in Taierzhuang.

"Cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges are essential. The more the people understand each other, the more consensus and fewer misunderstandings there will be. Therefore, we continue to promote various exchanges," Hsiao said.

During the visit, youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait engaged in friendly exchanges.

Earlier this year, Hsiao led a group of about 40 Taiwan students to Beijing for cultural and sports exchanges. In late 2024, the foundation invited 40 students and faculty from seven mainland universities to Taiwan. Their visit received a warm welcome.