Lai Shu-jen (middle) and her friends from Taiwan record their trip to the Xiacheng City God Temple in Xiamen, Fujian. HU MEIDONG/CHINA DAILY

Strength of kinship

Zhu Dingbo, former deputy head of the China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan Kinship in Quanzhou, southern Fujian, said the greatest advantage Fujian has is its kinship with Taiwan, which is the foundation for peaceful development.

About 80 percent of Taiwan people can trace their ancestry back to Fujian. Due to their proximity, there have been numerous instances in history of large-scale population migrations between Fujian and Taiwan.

Fujian immigrants settled in Taiwan based on clan relationships, and nostalgically named their new homes after their old ones. As a result, many villages and streets in Fujian and Taiwan share the same names.

The new arrivals also brought their beliefs and customs to Taiwan. They built ancestral temples for their families in Taiwan, and documented the arrivals of the first generation from Fujian in their family trees.