Fujian values shared ancestry with Taiwan

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress from Fujian province have shared their experiences and suggestions on enhancing cultural exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan to foster stronger ties across the Taiwan Strait.

Wang Jinzu, secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhangzhou city committee, said Fujian, which "shares the same root and the same blood" with Taiwan, has the closest ties to the island among all mainland provinces.

The dialect, culture and customs in Zhangzhou, a city in southern Fujian, are similar to those in Taiwan, and many residents in both places share common ancestry, Wang said.

The city, which is striving to become a center for global exchanges of Minnan culture, is leveraging these connections to enhance shared understanding and emotional bonds across the Strait, he said.

Minnan culture is a significant cultural influence that originated in southern Fujian province. Minnan culture has spread beyond Fujian due to migration, particularly to Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

In recent years, Zhangzhou has collected historical records reflecting the stories of residents who moved to Taiwan from the mainland and has built several venues showcasing the connection between both sides, including one displaying letters written to family members across the Strait, Wang said.

The city has 306 Taiwan-related cultural relics and plans to strengthen their protection while producing a series of micro-videos to tell the stories of the relics, he added.

Taiwan-related cultural relics are defined as items that document historical political, economic and cultural exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan, demonstrate the shared ancestry of people on both sides of the Strait and hold historical, artistic and scientific value, according to the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage. These include ancestral shrines, ancestral houses and tombs.

Huang Lei, president of the Federation of Taiwan Compatriots of Nanping, a city in northern Fujian, said 1,515 such relics have been registered in the province.

However, concerns remain over ineffective protection, Huang said, suggesting a tiered system to classify the relics by importance and apply different maintenance measures accordingly.

Huang also called for a comprehensive survey to compile a list of endangered relics and ensure prompt preservation efforts, encouraging public participation in protection initiatives.

Lu Luanmei, a member of the standing committee of the Fujian provincial committee of the China Democratic League, proposed that the financial support for repairing the relics should be expanded through different channels, and collaboration between people on both sides of the Strait should be encouraged to preserve them.

She urged the government to fund repairs for privately owned relic sites, suggesting that these sites could become free destinations to boost local tourism. A portion of the tourism revenue could then be allocated to site owners as an incentive, she said.

Huang encouraged local authorities to hold special exhibitions and commemorative events about the relics to attract more visitors from Taiwan and strengthen young Taiwan residents' awareness of their ancestral roots.