Taiwan residents spread community spirit in Xiamen's refurbished villages

She refurnished the room by providing a tea table and installing a small library, including chairs and desks, and some fitness equipment.

"Everything is transportable in the event of future changes. Although construction of the buildings has not yet finished, people still need space for public activities," she said.

A common bond

In December, when work on the activity center was almost complete, Huang invited about 20 children to draw on the exterior walls. She divided the lower sections of wall into rectangles to mimic the appearance of houses in villages in south Fujian.

"I told them to paint whatever they liked on the rectangles and said that from that day forward they could hang out at the center after school. We will arrange a lot of activities for them this year," she said, adding that the children were quick to help when she was moving the new furniture into the building.

"As they play together, they will gradually form a common bond, a spirit of their own and a sense of belonging."

Lu Shau-yuan, another assistant from Taiwan, also recognizes the importance of cultivating a sense of community. The 35-year-old works in Haisheng community, a residential area built to house people who have moved from other provinces for work.

Among the community activities Lu has arranged is a workshop for Gezai Opera, a popular art form in southern Fujian and Taiwan. He has also taught the children how to use the diabolo, a traditional yo-yo popular in North China.

During the festival to mark the winter solstice, northerners traditionally eat dumplings, while southerners eat tangyuan, small balls of rice filled with soup. Lu invited the locals to make tangyuan together and explained to the children that eating dumplings is also a Chinese tradition.

"In a new community where people come from different places, we need to cultivate a common spirit. We hope the residents will learn about different cultures and understand that they can coexist," the former information technology engineer said.