The opening ceremony of the Matsu Culture Week is held on Meizhou Island in Putian, East China's Fujian province, on Sept 16. [Photo/fjdaily.com]

The Matsu Cultural Week, part of the 12th Straits Forum, kicked off on Meizhou Island in Putian, East China's Fujian province, on Sept 16, and will last until Sept 23, according to a local news report.

Unlike previous editions, this year's opening ceremony was held both online and offline, with an array of related activities on offer.

The event, sponsored by the Chinese Matsu Cultural Exchange Association, aims to promote people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, according to authorities.

The organizing committee said this year's cultural week highlights the economic and trade integration across the Taiwan Straits, with a number of projects for deepening industrial cooperation launched during the week.

Cultural exchange and communication among youths across the Taiwan Straits are also in focus, helping promote understanding between young people from the mainland and Taiwan.

Matsu is widely worshiped in Taiwan and other coastal regions in southern China, and Matsu culture serves as a spiritual bond between overseas Chinese and the motherland.