BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- After a year, Ma Ying-jeou led a group of young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland again.
From April 1 to 11, Ma and his delegation embarked on a journey of root seeking, visits and exchanges, drawing wide attention from compatriots across the Taiwan Strait and the international community at large.
The group's busy agenda deeply linked the history, reality and future at both sides of the Strait.
SEEKING MEMORIES OF CHINESE NATION
During the traditional Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which fell on April 4 this year, Ma and his delegation attended a ceremony in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to pay homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, a legendary common ancestor of Chinese people.
Most people in Taiwan have been firm in identifying with the Chinese culture and nation, said Ma, urging young people in Taiwan to commit to bear in mind the origin of Chinese culture and the Chinese nation, and the pride of being Chinese descendants.
After visiting the Palace Museum in Beijing, Ma said he felt that his soul was stirred.
"I believe no 'de-sinicization' misdeed will ever succeed," he added.
Ma also led the group to visit several revolutionary sites and memorial facilities to relive the history of the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation saving their country.
Lugou Bridge Incident, which broke out on July 7, 1937, is recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's whole-of-nation resistance against Japanese aggression.
After seeing the site of the incident, Ma said we must tell our offspring that commemorating the resistance war is for drawing lessons from the past, becoming self-reliant and revitalizing China.
FRIENDSHIP AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE
Young people are the hope of the country and future of the nation.
About one year ago, Ma led a group of young people from Taiwan to visit three universities on the mainland for exchanges.
In this April, young people from across the Strait gathered together for exchanges again as Ma and his delegation visited Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Peking University in Beijing.
When visiting Peking University on Tuesday, Ma said huge potential remains for cross-Strait youth exchanges, calling for more opportunities for them to meet.
Yang Chen, a doctoral student at Peking University, expressed hopes for deepened connections among young people from both sides of the Strait, saying that a strong bond is crucial for a brighter shared future.
"I hope deeper friendships could blossom among young people on both sides," Yang said.
PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT OF CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS
During their visit to Shenzhen, Ma and his delegation toured renowned global enterprises such as DJI, Tencent, and BYD. They also explored a smart agriculture demonstration park in Shaanxi.
Reflecting on their trip on the mainland, young participants from Taiwan said they had witnessed multifaceted development, expressing the intention to share authentic observation and insights about the mainland with their friends and family upon returning to Taiwan.
Throughout their journey, Ma and his delegation consistently conveyed their aspirations for closer ties between compatriots across the Strait and advocated for peaceful cross-Strait relations.
Ma emphasized the importance of pursuing peace and collaborating toward the revitalization of China on multiple occasions.
Wayne Su, a student from Taiwan, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to join the delegation's mainland visit. "I hope we can engage in more in-depth exchanges." ■
