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Seventeen years on the streets, living and working with the people of China, Jeff 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My comments before starting

The article below is quite informative about the incredible ties between the Taiwan people and the Mainland, especially Fujian Province, which is directly across the Straits of Taiwan and it’s less than 200 kilometers wide. I was fascinated to learn that 80% of Taiwanese have ancestral ties to Fujian Province. That is an amazing statistic!

 

Above: Fujian and Taiwan Island are not just relatives, they’re kissing cousins!

Hundreds of Judeo-Western imperial ships, planes and submarines ply the Taiwan Strait waters 24-7, trying to keep them apart.

In fact, speaking their local dialects, Taiwanese and Fukkian, they can communicate with each other and not use Mandarin Chinese, which is standard Chinese.

I was also surprised to learn that 72.8% of Taiwanese consider themselves to be Chinese, while it’s a statistical fact that around 96% of all Taiwanese are members of the Han race, which is the same majority race as in Mainland China. Indeed, it is the same level as in Mainland China, about 96% Han.

The President of Taiwan Province, William Ching-Te’s ancestral home is in Fujian Province.

This, while Taiwan’s so-called Democratic Progressive Party is doing everything in its power to desinicize Taiwan, denying that Taiwan is a part of Chinese history and civilization, that they are somehow different, that their genes are somehow different, that they are more Japanese than Chinese, after Japan ungraciously occupied the Island from 1895 until 1945 and that Taiwan deities are somehow different from the exact same gods on the Continent, going back millennia.

All of this to try to become a separate country from Mainland China, which is a dangerous pipe dream for all of humanity and will never happen.

Judeo-Americans are taking full advantage of this and using the DPP as a vassal political party to irritate and try to destabilize Mainland China, while grooming the people to be Asia’s Ukraine. It will not work. As I have said in previous articles, if the Talmud-Tanakh West pushes the DPP to declare independence, then it’s going to end up being World War III, and not just between China and the United States, but with much of the rest of the world, as you can read in the previous articles.

It’s also fascinating to see that hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese have gone to the Mainland to visit their ancestral home, going back centuries, as well as religious temples and shrines. Not to mention, there are a million Taiwanse living and working in the Mainland. This confirms that it’s actually the DPP that is making it extremely difficult for any Mainlanders to come here to visit their relatives and ancestral places on Taiwan Island. Not the other way around. It’s too bad for Taiwan’s economy, not the mention Mainlander are gaga about Taiwan Island, the people, the food and the local culture.

The article below is long and well worth reading for critical details. If not, I generated a 30-point summary instead.

Enjoy and learn, Jeff

30-point summary

1. The quiet rural village of Xintian in Fujian became notable in November after popular Taiwanese YouTuber and bodybuilder Holger Chen Chih-han visited the community.
2. Nicknamed “Guan Zhang” or “gym boss”, Chen’s Fujian trip aimed to trace the ancestral roots of Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te and sparked public debate.
3. Chen livestreamed his visit to the Lai Clan Ancestral Hall in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou, to his 1.3 million online followers and received a warm local welcome.
4. The Lai Clan Ancestral Hall preserves centuries of clan history and hosted an interview between Chen and local clan association secretary Lai Hanzhong.
5. Lai Hanzhong publicly called on Lai Ching-te to repent his mistakes and contribute to cross-Strait national reunification efforts.
6. Roughly 80% of Taiwan’s population traces ancestral origins to Fujian, stemming from mass migration during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
7. Ruling DPP leader Lai Ching-te denies Chinese identity for Taiwanese people and seeks to cut historical and cultural ties with the mainland.
8. Lai Hanzhong presented Chen with the clan’s genealogy book detailing early Lai clan migration from Fujian to Taiwan.
9. Clan records show the Lai clan’s 8th generation began moving to Taiwan, with the 14th generation settling in Lai Ching-te’s Yunlin hometown.
10. Lai Hanzhong stated all people with the Lai surname are Han Chinese, a fact he described as undeniable.
11. Chen directly addressed Lai Ching-te in his livestream, urging him to uphold ancestral teachings on filial piety and moral conduct.
12. Lai Hanzhong recalled a 2018 Taiwan visit where he met Lai Ching-te’s relatives, who acknowledged their Fujian ancestral roots.
13. Taiwan’s Reunification Alliance Party honorary chairman Chi Chia-lin praised Chen’s visit as a unique reminder of Lai’s cross-Strait blood ties.
14. KMT vice-chairman-designate Hsiao Hsu-tsen noted 72.8% of Taiwanese identify as part of the Chinese nation, reflecting mainstream public opinion.
15. Fujian authorities have long assisted Taiwanese residents in tracing family trees and visiting ancestral hometowns across the strait.
16. In October, Taiwan political commentator Lai Yueh-tchien visited his Fujian ancestral home and urged more Taiwanese to explore mainland roots.
17. Chen’s 12-day mainland livestream tour starting October 25 included stops in Liaoning and Beijing and drew widespread public attention.
18. Chen previously livestreamed from Shanghai in June to counter what he called DPP misinformation about mainland China.
19. A Beijing university professor noted a rising trend of Taiwan influencers livestreaming on the mainland, boosting cross-Strait integration awareness.
20. Beijing views Taiwan as an inalienable part of China, refuses to rule out force for reunification, and labels Lai Ching-te a stubborn separatist.
21. Chen’s livestream caused a sharp rise in Xintian village visitors, with local officials planning to develop it into a cross-Strait cultural exchange hub.
22. A new cultural display hall in Xintian is under construction, scheduled for completion by the end of the year for cross-Strait exchange activities.
23. Chen’s visit highlights Beijing’s strategy to use ancestral and religious ties to connect with Taiwan’s younger generation, bypassing island political leaders.
24. Skepticism remains over Beijing’s outreach effectiveness, as the DPP dismisses heritage tourism as politically motivated.
25. Traditional clan and religious ties are weakening among Taiwan’s pragmatic public, particularly young people.
26. Since taking office in May 2024, Lai Ching-te has promoted a separate “Formosan” identity and pushed systematic de-Sinicisation policies in Taiwan.
27. Lai’s administration revised education curricula to downgrade mainland Chinese history and rebrand traditional deities as indigenous Taiwanese figures.
28. Fujian authorities leverage sites like Xintian’s Lai ancestral hall to emphasise shared kinship despite Taiwan’s de-Sinicisation campaigns.
29. Built in 1621 during the Ming Dynasty, the Lai Clan Ancestral Hall is being renovated into an exhibition and kinship education centre.
30. Cross-Strait religious pilgrimages and ancestral root-seeking trips draw tens of thousands of Taiwanese visitors yearly, though analysts question long-term youth engagement impact.

Article

Above: the Xintian, Fujian Lai Ancestral Clan Hall. On the wall it says,

Mandarin Transcription:
两岸情，心田缘
心田情连心，两岸一家亲

Pinyin:
Liǎng’àn qíng, Xīntián yuán
Xīntián qíng lián xīn, liǎng’àn yī jiā qīn

English Translation:
Affection between the two shores, affinity from the heart’s fertile soil.
Hearts connected by emotion from the heart’s rich land, the two shores are one family.

 

The village of Xintian in Fujian province is usually a quiet rural backwater but that changed in November when popular Taiwanese YouTuber and bodybuilder Holger Chen Chih-han descended on the community.

Chen Chih-han, known as “Guan Zhang”, or “gym boss”, has stirred debate after traveling to Fujian province to trace the ancestral roots of Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, who has sought to distance the island from the mainland.

Chen, who arrived on Monday in Xintian village in Pinghe county, located in Zhangzhou, livestreamed to his 1.3 million followers his visit to the Lai Clan Ancestral Hall, where he was warmly received.

The hall is the repository of centuries of clan history and, in an interview with Chen, clan association secretary Lai Hanzhong had some words for its most famous son, Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te.

“All of us hope he will repent and learn from his mistakes, and do more good for the cause of national reunification,” he said.

About 80 percent of Taiwan residents trace their ancestry to Fujian, as many people from the province emigrated to the island during the Ming and Qing (1368-1911) dynasties. However, Lai, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, has claimed that people in Taiwan are not Chinese, seeking to sever the island’s cultural and historical ties with the mainland.

During the livestream, Lai Hanzhong, secretary-general of the local Lai Clan Association, presented Chen with a family genealogy book. It showed that ancestors of the local Lai clan began migrating to Taiwan in the eighth generation, with the 14th generation settling in Yunlin county, Lai Ching-te’s hometown.

“Anyone with the surname Lai is Chinese and part of the Han ethnicity. This is undeniable,” Lai Hanzhong said.

Chen also used the livestream to address Lai Ching-te directly, urging him to reflect on his family’s ancestral teachings, which include the principle that “unfilial people commit sins against heaven”.

Lai Hanzhong recalled a 2018 visit to Taiwan, where he met with Lai Ching-te’s relatives, who acknowledged their ancestral ties to Pinghe in Fujian’s Zhangzhou. He also displayed a group photo taken with them.

Chi Chia-lin, honorary chairman of Taiwan’s Reunification Alliance Party, said Chen’s act was “fresh and unique”, aimed at reminding Lai Ching-te of his roots and the shared bloodline across the Taiwan Strait.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, vice-chairman-designate of the Chinese Kuomintang party, said in an interview with Taiwan media that 72.8 percent of Taiwan people identify as part of the Chinese nation, adding that Chen’s actions reflect mainstream public opinion.

In recent years, Fujian has helped many people in Taiwan connect their family trees with their mainland counterparts and welcomed visitors seeking to explore their ancestral homes.

In October, Taiwan political commentator Lai Yueh-tchien visited his ancestral home in Longyan, Fujian. He expressed hope that more people from Taiwan would seek their roots on the mainland, calling it an “undeniable fact” that Taiwan people are Chinese.

Chen’s 12-day mainland livestream tour, which began on Oct 25, also included visits to Liaoning province and Beijing, drawing significant attention. His earlier livestreams in Shanghai in June aimed to counter what he called the DPP’s misinformation about the mainland.

Yu Qiang, a professor at Beijing Technology and Business University, said that in recent years, many Taiwan influencers like Chen have traveled to the mainland to livestream, gaining large audiences. He said the trend reflects growing public interest in cross-Strait integration and a more accurate understanding of the mainland among viewers in Taiwan.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has never ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland. It also sees William Lai as an “obstinate separatist”.

Since Gym Boss’ live stream, visitor numbers have spiked and the local government has urged the clan association to turn the village into a centre for cross-strait cultural exchange, according to a clan member. A new display hall for this purpose is under construction and is set to be completed by the end of the year.

The YouTuber’s visit highlights a broader push by Beijing to repurpose ancient ties and faith to bypass the island’s political leadership and win hearts and minds among Taiwan’s younger generations.

But there are doubts about just how successful the mainland can be, with Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dismissing this kind of heritage tourism as “politically motivated” and observers noting that traditional clan ties and religious beliefs are losing their grip on a pragmatic Taiwanese public, especially its youth.

Since his inauguration in May 2024, William Lai has championed a distinct “Formosan” identity that portrays Taiwan as a multicultural entity separate from the mainland. His administration has accelerated “de-sinicisation” efforts through educational reforms that relegate mainland Chinese history to a subset of international studies and cultural campaigns that redefine traditional deities as “indigenous” Taiwanese guardians.

However, an estimated 80 per cent of the island’s population has at least some roots in Fujian and the mainland is using Lai’s ancestral home and others like it throughout the province to emphasise shared family ties and religious beliefs across the Taiwan Strait.

In Xintian, the once-modest Lai Clan Ancestral Hall was built in 1621 during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and has been renovated multiple times. Now, it is going through another transformation, into an exhibition space and centre for “kinship education”.

Exhibitions inside the hall detail a long history of migration to Taiwan beginning in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

And since the early decades of the 20th century, Lai clan members have often returned from Taiwan to Xintian to seek their roots. Even during the years of cross-strait estrangement from 1949 to 1987, some determined clan members would take the circuitous route through Hong Kong to get to Xintian. Over the past 40 years, more than 2,000 members of the clan have made 120 trips to the village.

Since 2022, the clan has also been compiling a new version of its genealogical records, including more than 100,000 members in Taiwan. The catalogue is set to be finished by late 2026 and the clan association said they would include William Lai in the records. His ancestral residence remained in local hands and distant relatives of his still lived there, another clan member added.

Elsewhere, the Fujian provincial government has amassed a collection of more than 10,000 genealogical records representing more than 1,000 different surnames, mainly housed at the China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan Kinship in the city of Quanzhou. By digitising and cataloguing these records, the Fujian government has identified thousands of lineage links and “twin villages”.

“Twin villages” are pairs of settlements across the strait that share identical names, temples and patriarchal lineages – the result of 17th century migrants to Taiwan transplanting their hometown identities.

These genealogies provide granular evidence of migration during the Ming and Qing dynasties, detailing the migrants’ trades and specific origins. To date, the project has helped hundreds of Taiwanese people find their ancestral villages and relatives still living there, using family heritage as a way to build and reinforce cross-strait ties.

Another effort to reinforce cross-strait ties can be seen a short walk away from the Lai ancestral hall. Xintian is home to a magnificent temple dedicated to Baosheng Dadi – the God of Medicine widely regarded as Taiwan’s second most popular folk deity after sea goddess Mazu, who also originates in Fujian.

Baosheng Dadi has nearly 5 million Taiwanese followers and more than 400 temples dedicated to him on the island. The Yuanbao Temple, one of Taiwan’s biggest Baosheng Dadi temples, traces its lineage directly back to the Xintian temple.

Over the past five years, the Xintian temple has been renovated, its roof a riot of cut-porcelain artistry thanks to more than 10 million yuan in donations, including major contributions from the Yuanbao Temple, the Lai clan association said.

Around Baosheng Dadi’s birthday on March 15, temple representatives perform an incense-dividing ceremony in preparation for a cross-strait pilgrimage.

Representatives from the Yuanbao Temple first go to the Fujian city of Xiamen to visit the Qingjiao Ciji Temple – the deity’s original sacred hermitage – and then travel 100km to the Xintian temple. They then carry a censer of burning incense back to Taichung to “recharge” the spiritual power of the Taiwan branch, a lay worker at the Qingjiao Ciji Temple said.

This shared faith sustains a vast religious tourism circuit, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims to Fujian’s ancestral shrines every year. The annual Mazu pilgrimage to Fujian’s Meizhou Island usually attracts more than 200,000 Taiwanese pilgrims. Despite Beijing’s desire to foster these kind of links, analysts are doubtful of its efforts’ effectiveness, especially on younger generations.

Jinghao Zhou, an associate professor specialising in Chinese ideology, politics and religion at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the United States, said that while honouring common lineages could serve as a “cultural bridge”, it mostly appealed to older people.

For them, visiting a Fujianese “mother temple” triggered an authentic emotional resonance that reinforced a shared identity capable of “transcending political boundaries”. But for the younger generation, identity was “increasingly shaped by diverse social factors, which may diminish the significance of ancestor worship”, he said.

Ancestral links can still move younger Taiwanese though, as the case of “Lai Lai” shows. The thirty-something pharmaceutical industry worker used a 300-year-old Qing dynasty address to find her roots in Xintian in 2022. With the help of mainland internet users on social media platforms such as RedNote, the young woman identified the village just a few hours after posting about the address, later confirming her lineage when she visited the ancestral hall in person.

Her story went viral, prompting other young Taiwanese to ask her to help them trace their own heritage, according to mainland state media.

“The moment I returned to the village, I felt an immediate sense of belonging,” she said, describing the connection as “etched into [her] genes”.

Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) hailed that such pilgrimages proved that ancestral identity was an “inborn gene” that no political force could alter.

However, for many first-time Taiwanese visitors to the mainland, such traditional connections are just the hooks, according to a board member of the Qingjiao Ciji Temple. The real impact, he said, often was in more tangible experiences such as mobile payments and dancing room service robots at their hotels – all of which were arranged by temple boards and officials in charge of cross-strait exchanges.

“The older generation will pass one day, so they are bringing more young people here one by one using the same faith,” he said.

“After the events, they can visit other places for a better understanding of [shared] historical roots and the mainland in general.”

The TAO said more than a third of visitors in cross-strait personnel exchanges last year were younger people. Since

Beijing waived application fees for “first-time” Taiwanese travellers last July, the number of young applicants has surged: 72 per cent of those first-timers are under the age of 45.

Taipei, however, accuses Beijing of using religion and culture as tools of political interference.

A study by Taiwanese academics last May found a “significant relationship” between Mazu veneration and pro-mainland voting patterns, specifically linking temple density in Kaohsiung neighbourhoods to higher support in those areas for the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang opposition party.

Citing political influence concerns, Taiwan has rejected multiple cross-strait religious activities.

In early April, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior warned that Beijing used “ancestral temples” to “weaken Taiwan’s subjectivity”, urging religious leaders to register their visits with Taipei. And in 2024, Taipei launched investigations into more than 40 village chiefs who had travelled to the mainland, alleging they violated Taiwan’s Anti-Infiltration Act by accepting heavily subsidised travel. Prosecutors argued these “budget tours” were a form of bribery intended to buy political loyalty ahead of elections.

While many cases initially stalled because it was difficult to prove a specific quid pro quo – or a direct promise to influence voters – the legal tide turned in February. Two middlemen that organised the trip were eventually handed prison sentences, with the courts ruling that accepting funds from a “hostile infiltration source” to provide improper travel benefits was a criminal act of interference.

According to Zhou from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, putting Xintian at the centre of a highly polarised political narrative might “inadvertently create unintended pressure for ordinary Taiwanese people and religious leaders, who wish to visit Xintian village and other temples to bridge the two sides”.

Simon Teng-chi Chang, a professor of political science at National Taiwan University, said the “religious charm” that once mitigated hostility towards Beijing – particularly thanks to grassroots believers in central and southern Taiwan – was declining steeply in the post-pandemic era.

He said that mainland China’s cultural leverage was being neutralised by a deliberate “cultural redefinition” in Taiwan.

By emphasising the local context of deities, the authorities in Taipei were severing organic links to the mainland and embedding these traditions into a distinctively local narrative, which posed “a substantial challenge to the goals of China’s religious and cultural policies towards Taiwan”, Chang said.

The older generation … are bringing more young people … one by one using the same faith – QINGJIAO CIJI TEMPLE BOARD MEMBER

Taipei’s effort to redefine deities such as Mazu and Baosheng Dadi as “indigenous” involves shifting the narrative from their Fujianese origins to their role in Taiwan’s history. For example, the annual major Mazu pilgrimage is often promoted by the Ministry of Culture and local DPP leaders as a “symbol of Taiwanese democratic spirit” and “local solidarity”.

Chang also argued that “mutual hostility” exploding on cross-strait social media had trickled down to grass-roots believers, souring the once neutral ground of shared faith.

Furthermore, Taiwan’s plunging birth rate and generational shifts were hollowing out the “traditional mass base” of these beliefs, Chang said.

Wei-hao Huang, an assistant professor at Institute of Political Science, National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, was sceptical of whether Beijing’s efforts would foster deep emotional identification or genuine mutual understanding among Taiwanese society at large.

He said the “relatively weak symbolic appeals” were unlikely to generate “substantial influence”.

References

https://www.pressreader.com/china/south-china-morning-post-6150/20260503/281479283024306 

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