Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – The 2024 Shandong-Taiwan Youth Cultural Exchange Festival, themed "Meeting in Shandong, Connecting with China," kicked off on July 9th in Jinan, Shandong Province. More than 200 Taiwanese students from universities such as Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology participated in the opening ceremony.
According to interviews, this Shandong-Taiwan Youth Cultural Exchange Festival includes 35 activities, such as the "Quanzhou-Jiaxing Friendship, Creating the Future" Shandong-Taiwan Youth Science and Education Exchange Festival and the "Shandong Style, Cross-Strait Affection" Outstanding Middle School Students' Chinese Culture Study Camp. It is expected that more than 800 Taiwanese students will visit Shandong during the festival.
"This is my first time visiting the mainland. This trip is both a cultural exploration and a valuable opportunity to promote exchange," said Shih Min-nuo, a student representative from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, after visiting the Jinan Confucian Temple and Baotu Spring. She added, "The future of both sides of the Taiwan Strait lies in the youth. Only through more exchanges and cooperation can we achieve common development and prosperity."
"Shandong is the cradle of Confucian culture, and for Taiwanese students, it carries a sense of familiarity reminiscent of studying the Analects," Zhan Yuxiang, a student representative from National Taiwan University, told reporters. This trip to Shandong allowed Taiwanese students to step onto this familiar yet novel land, personally experiencing its profound cultural heritage and savoring the mouthwatering Shandong cuisine. "We hope that through this exchange, we and mainland students can learn from each other, stimulate each other's potential, and work together to build a deeper friendship."
"Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots, culture, and ancestry. We hope that Taiwanese students, coming to the birthplace of Confucian culture, can gain a deeper understanding of the mainland's economy, culture, society, and all aspects of life," said Zhu Guoguang, a professor in the Department of Marketing and Distribution Management at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, who led the delegation to the cultural exchange festival. He added that his team mainly consisted of students majoring in marketing and agricultural enterprise management, who embarked on their journey to Shandong with a strong interest in the e-commerce boom and modern agricultural development.
"I believe they will explore e-commerce development and modern agricultural construction in depth with young students from the mainland. At the same time, I also look forward to them enhancing friendship with mainland students through exchanges and jointly injecting new vitality into cross-strait youth cooperation and development," said Zhu Guoguang.
Since 2005, the Shandong-Taiwan Youth Cultural Exchange Activity has been held continuously in Shandong Province, becoming an important channel for communication and understanding between young people from both sides of the strait, and an important platform for students from both sides to build friendships and enhance their feelings. (End)
