TAIPEI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Kung Fu-themed tourism promotion has drawn visitors to the 2026 Kaohsiung winter travel fair, which opened Friday in the city of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, showcasing martial arts culture, traditional crafts and tourism resources from four mainland provinces.
The event was jointly organized by the Kaohsiung office of the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits, and culture and tourism authorities from Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guangdong.
Centered on four major schools of Kung Fu, the event featured martial arts performances, intangible cultural heritage, cultural and creative products, and tourism routes, giving Taiwan residents an immersive experience of the mainland's tourist attractions.
Li Yi-Syuan, a martial arts instructor from Kaohsiung, performed Shaolin Kung Fu on site and drew applause from visitors.
"I have trained under a master from Henan and have practiced martial arts for more than 20 years. Now I'm teaching both of my sons to practice," Li said. He added that mainland martial arts films are popular in Taiwan and that he plans to take his children to the renowned Shaolin Temple in Henan.
"The exhibition allows me to learn something new while also having fun," said a university student in Kaohsiung, who plans to travel to Sichuan with classmates to see pandas.
The organizers also introduced several tourism routes combining martial arts culture with historical sites, natural scenery and local cuisine.
"The mainland has always been the best travel destination for Taiwan residents," said Tsai Tzung-You, chairman of the Kaohsiung Association of Travel Agents.
Tsai noted that this year's promotion, through the well-known cultural symbol of Kung Fu, could attract more Taiwan residents to travel to the mainland and promote cross-Strait cultural and tourism exchanges.
Five mainland airlines also participated in the promotion, providing visitors with detailed information on flights and travel arrangements.
"We have seen strong interest from visitors making inquiries, while passenger load factors on existing cross-Strait routes have remained high," said Lan Hong, passenger transport manager of China Southern Airlines' Taiwan branch.
The travel fair, which will close on Oct. 5, has attracted 286 tourism-related exhibitors and is expected to see around 200,000 visits. ■
