No regrets about settling on mainland, says woman from Taiwan region

Shen Yuying, a 78-year-old woman from the Taiwan region, has lived in Huimin county, Binzhou, in east China's Shandong Province for four decades.

In 1982, Shen and her husband made a trip to the mainland. Shen was initially nervous upon arriving on the mainland. However, when they reached her husband Wang Zhonglu's hometown in Huimin county, the atmosphere was vibrant and celebratory. The entire village came out to warmly welcome Shen and her husband, who had been away from his hometown for more than 40 years.

Shen Yuying shows a wedding photo of her and her husband. (Photo/Lyu Yan)

Shen is a native of Taiwan. Her father worked in a local government department, and her family was affluent. Shen and Wang married in 1968. They later operated a traditional Chinese medicine store and lived a peaceful, happy life.

In 1979, during a trip to Singapore to procure medicinal materials, they came across the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan." Wang was deeply moved by the message. "He was excited and told me we could finally go home," Shen recalled.

From that moment on, the couple became avid followers of news and updates about the mainland. They quietly devised a plan to settle there.

When the couple traveled to the mainland in 1982, they brought back soil from Shandong to Taiwan. They then distributed this soil to local residents in Taiwan, whose ancestral home was Huimin.

"People were moved to tears upon receiving soil from their homeland, deeply touching me. This journey also made my husband more determined to return to his roots. I believed in my husband's choice and decided to go to the mainland with him,” said Shen.

In 1983, Shen and her husband, along with their three children, officially settled on the mainland.

Shen said that after settling on the mainland, she actively shared the reality of life there with relatives and friends in Taiwan, encouraging them to consider coming to the mainland for personal and professional development.

She also transformed her home into a contact point and reception station for compatriots from Taiwan, providing various forms of assistance and convenience to those returning to their hometowns.

Shen has been a political advisor in Shandong Province for 24 years, during which time she has closely observed the development of cross-Strait relations and actively contributed suggestions and proposals.

"I believe it is my responsibility and duty to facilitate cross-Strait exchanges. Throughout my tenure, my understanding of the mainland has deepened significantly," Shen expressed.

During her visits to Taiwan to see her relatives, Shen would share the remarkable development and changes that had occurred on the mainland over the years, inspiring her loved ones to witness these advancements firsthand.

Under Shen's influence, her brothers-in-law, cousin, and other relatives and friends were motivated to invest in factories in cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Today, three generations of Shen's family have made their home on the mainland.

"This year, my granddaughter participated in a summer camp for compatriots from Taiwan and made friends with children from Taiwan. I sincerely hope that more young people from Taiwan will come to the mainland to personally witness its remarkable progress. Through firsthand experience, they can truly understand the rapid development here," Shen said.

"People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are from the same family," Shen added, noting that she has never regretted her decision to settle on the mainland.