Cross-Strait bonds come alive through eyes of Taiwan youth

XIAMEN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- As the sun rises over the strait, casting golden light on rafts gliding across the shimmering sea, a male voice sings, "The Strait lifts the first light of dawn; the people of the homeland take up their ancestors' oars," a poetic line displayed on the big screen at the 23rd Straits Youth Forum.

All of these elements were generated on-site using artificial intelligence (AI). Just moments earlier, each speaker at the forum had been invited to say a random keyword, which the AI then used to create a custom music video.

Leaving guests and attendees in awe with its swift creation and deep portrayal of kinship across the Taiwan Strait, the AI-generated video provided a powerful and memorable touch to the forum.

As a key part of the ongoing 17th Straits Forum, the gathering was held under the theme "Youth Creates the Future" on Sunday in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, bringing together around 470 young participants from both sides of the Strait, approximately 70 percent of whom were from Taiwan.

The video was generated by Chiang Kuo-ming, a young entrepreneur from China's Taiwan region and founder of Xiamen Dulusou Film and Cultural Media Co., Ltd., and his partner Chen Duo from the mainland.

In February, Fujian rolled out its fourth batch of measures aimed at benefiting Taiwan and its people, including a pilot program that allows Taiwan businesspersons to invest in and establish radio and television program production and operation companies in the province.

Chiang was the first to receive such a permit, seizing the opportunity presented by the mainland's booming short drama market. He teamed up with mainland youth Chen Duo to create content using AI technology.

"Back in Taiwan, I often watched short dramas from the mainland, and my friends and even older family members enjoyed them too, regardless of age. I really wanted to see what the short drama market is like in the mainland," Chiang said at the forum.

His enthusiasm was matched by Chen, who last year served as a mentor at a cross-Strait youth journalism camp, teaching more than 200 young participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait how to use AI to create content.

"When we paired them up to co-create AI works, the energy was incredible, and the atmosphere was truly amazing," Chen recalled.

The close rapport between compatriots across the Strait, as seen in the audio-visual industry, extends far beyond short dramas.

In late April, the Minnan-dialect version of the domestic animated blockbuster Chang An premiered in Taipei, depicting the stories of the Tang Dynasty's "Immortal Poet" Li Bai and reigniting enthusiasm for classical Chinese poetry on the island.

"Some viewers from Taichung drove all the way to Taipei to watch it, and one young Taiwan compatriot working in Beijing even flew back to Taiwan just for it," said Chen Chun-jung, founder of Spring International, the film's distributor in Taiwan.

At the forum, two young attendees from Taiwan -- one living in Zhejiang Province and the other in Taipei -- took the stage to recite Tang poems in Minnan dialect, their familiar accents and the elegant cadence of tonal rises and falls bringing the event to a stirring climax.

"Both sides of the Strait are inheritors of Chinese culture, and this is also an opportunity for Taiwan," said Lee Yong-ping, head of a Taiwan-based art and culture foundation, at the forum. She called on young people in Taiwan to fully tap into the rich treasures of Chinese culture, unleash their creativity, and work hand in hand with mainland youth to promote traditional Chinese culture.

Chang Chun-kai, another young speaker from Taiwan attending the forum, delved deeper into the bond between compatriots across the Strait by sharing his personal journey of tracing his roots.

Last year, he returned for the first time to his ancestral home in Jinjiang in Fujian, where he joined fellow clan members in honoring their ancestors. His journey was featured in "Golden Letters' Journey Home," a documentary series co-produced by teams from both the mainland and Taiwan.

"Nation and family. My own family history is a testament to how inseparable the two are," said Chang, reflecting on the experience with pride and calling it unforgettable.

"For Taiwan compatriots, tracing our roots is like writing an everlasting family letter across the Strait," he added.

"When people in Taiwan feel lost after being uprooted for so long, more and more begin seeking their true identity, and in doing so, rediscover the warmth and reverence that had been severed or forgotten," Chang said. ■