Cultural exchanges

Xiamen uses Minnan culture as a link to innovate communication methods, build event brands and enhance the effectiveness of communication.

The city focuses on promoting more than 50 large-scale cross-Straits exchange activities such as the Straits Forum, the Industrial Fair, the Cultural Fair and the Map Fair. Among them, the Straits Forum has been successfully held for 13 sessions, attracting a total of about 110,000 Taiwan compatriots to participate, making it the largest cross-Straits exchange event with the largest number of participants.

A Taiwan doctor, working in Fuzhou, Fujian, participated in cross-Straits exchange activities to promote the integrated development of the two sides. He said that the Straits Forum is a very important platform and a very good opportunity for cross-Straits integration. "It is a great help for the development of Taiwan's youth. I hope that Taiwan's youth will go to the Chinese mainland to take a look, communicate with each other, and share development opportunities, feeling the sense of gain, accomplishment and happiness of developing on the motherland," he said.

Xiamen has also organized cross-Straits non-governmental exchange activities such as the Zheng Chenggong Cultural Festival, Ford Cultural Festival, Dragon Boat Cultural Festival, Song Jiangzhen Folk Culture Festival and Minwang Cultural Festival.

The city has taken the lead in promulgating the Regulations on Investment Protection for Taiwan Compatriots to help Taiwan compatriots to live and work in Xiamen and support Taiwan compatriots to integrate into society.

There are classes for Taiwan students in high-quality junior middle schools and high schools in the city, and each year the children of Taiwan compatriots in Xiamen are enrolled in a concentrated manner.

Xiamen has established Taiwan-related service organizations and formed a matrix combining online and offline services. The seven medical insurance agencies in the city and district have all opened the "green channel" for Taiwan residents.

All administrative service centers set up special windows for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-based enterprises. As a hot spot for youth employment and entrepreneurship on both sides of the Straits, Xiamen has issued a series of policies to encourage and support the Taiwan youth to come to Xiamen for entrepreneurship and employment. The Taiwan Youth Innovation Platform includes administrative regions and development zones, covering e-commerce, mobile internet, optoelectronic technology and cultural creativity.

A container ship awaits export at Xiamen Port in Fujian province. [Photo/China Daily]