Realities of similarities hit home with Taiwan youths(3)

Visions of recent past

At Sun Yat-sen's former residence in Zhongshan, Guangdong, the Taiwan youths took turns snapping photos in front of the building, and expressed their respect for this pioneer of the Chinese revolution.

And on the Lugou Bridge in Beijing, 20 Taiwan youths and Ma listened to 93-year-old Zheng Fulai, a witness of the Lugou Bridge Incident in 1937, who recounted the cruelty inflicted during the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

Su Wei-en, one of the Taiwan youths, said the visit to the bridge made him feel "excited, yet sad", and as if he had "touched history". His grandparents were from the mainland, and his great-grandfather was a captain during the war.

"I felt as if the stories my grandparents told were unfolding before my eyes," he said.

"The bridge that was trampled by Japanese invaders over 70 years ago was right beneath my feet. These were experiences I could never have in Taiwan."

On April 10, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met the delegation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He emphasized that youths are the hope of the country and the future of the nation.

These young people, after traveling across the mainland and witnessing the economic development and the history and culture created by the Chinese nation, appeared to have a deeper understanding when they listened to Xi's speech.

Hsiao Sy-yuan, a member of the Taiwan youth group, said he watched the historic first meeting between Xi and Ma on TV in 2015, He said he felt "excited beyond words" to participate in their second meeting as a member of the visiting group.

Through the youth exchanges he saw the commonalities between young people on both sides of the Strait in areas such as history, food, and popular culture.

"Of course, we need to interact with each other frequently because it's a key point for young people on both sides of the Strait to have more understanding, empathy, and learn from each other in the future," Hsiao said.