Taiwan-born kendo instructor grows cross-Strait ties

In July, Su Yu-cheng became the first Taiwan-born athlete to represent China at the World Kendo Championships, which this year took place in Milan, Italy. The significance of Su's participation, and him serving as Team China's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, was not lost on many observers.

During his rounds, Su competed valiantly for his country, donning the black kendo armor and wielding his bamboo sword in the traditional Japanese fencing contest. His efforts helped Team China to a meritable Top 16 finish.

Post-competition, the 34-year-old from Taipei was proud of his efforts.

"I have been practicing Kendo for 20 years. After coming to the mainland and after 9 years of intermittent selection, I finally represented China at the World Championships. I felt extremely excited, happy and proud," Su said.

"When holding the flag up high during the opening ceremony, I was quite nervous since it was such a big moment. However, my anxiety dissipated as I made my way into the arena and beheld the cheers and encouragement from the Chinese spectators below. My happiness grew steadily, and I was deeply moved as I clutched the flag at that moment."

Su first visited the mainland in 2007 while taking part in an invitational kendo tournament held by Renmin University of China in Beijing.

In 2015, he moved to the mainland full time, setting up his own kendo dojo in Xiamen, Fujian province.

Nine years on, Su has taught many students, forming a strong bond with them as both a mentor and friend.

Su is even working with partners and the Xiamen government to make a success of setting up a sports complex made up of Taiwan sports companies to attract interested parties from across the Taiwan Strait to showcase their unique talents and foster greater exchanges.

The integrated sports and cultural entrepreneurship employment base for Taiwan youth was established in June this year.

Regarding the operation of the base, Su admitted that there remained challenges in attracting investment and property management.

"Nonetheless, we are confident that these tasks can be managed as our primary focus is simple, which is purely on assisting Taiwan individuals in starting businesses, settling here and providing them with the necessary support."

At present, the base accommodates 28 Taiwan companies spanning a diverse range of sectors. In addition to kendo, the base has expanded its offerings to include basketball, swimming, tennis, archery, ice hockey, curling, short-track speed skating, fencing, surfing and skateboarding. It also offers services such as sports rehabilitation, physical training, etiquette coaching and modeling training. These businesses have been integrated with e-commerce ventures to facilitate the promotion and online sale of courses and sports equipment within the sports industry.

"We are doing our best to meet various needs and provide all the assistance possible to help our business owners succeed. For example, there are individuals who may be unfamiliar with selling coaching courses or sports equipment in this region due to varying sales practices between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. In this case, I share my knowledge personally and provide guidance on effectively marketing and selling these products," Su said.

His plan for the future is to enable a greater number of young people from Taiwan to visit the Chinese mainland, broaden their horizons and get access to increased opportunities.

"Sporting interactions can help to diminish misconceptions and foster closer ties between people from both sides," Su said.

lipeixuan@chinadaily.com.cn