CRI听力:A Taiwan Woman's Love beyond the Strait

Dazaoyuan village, an ordinary and overlooked corner of Qingdao, is the home of Lian Wenxing, who is from across the Straits. Dazaoyuan became the bond between Lian and her husband, Wang Ping, who was born in the village.

"I fell in love with the village when I first arrived there. They told me it was a humble place, but to me, I saw the mutual affections between the people there. Every single brick and tile is built by the villagers, who were like sisters and brothers to each other. They help each other like a family. Can you feel how deep and precious their affections are? That's why I love it so much and am proud of it."

This is Lian Wenxing, who was born into a traditional Chinese family in Xinzhu, Taiwan. Her family members are now living in different cities around the world, but will always come back to their home in Taiwan during the Qingming festival, or the tomb-sweeping festival in English. This annual reunion is a tribute to the origin of the family.

"About 200 years ago, my family traveled across the Straits and moved to Taiwan. The Qingming festival is the day for our family reunion. When I was a kid, I was brought to visit the graves of my ancestors. This is like a tradition for my family. I always wanted to know more about my origin."

Lian Wenxing is an expert on her family's history and the contemporary history of Taiwan. She is proud to be Chinese and takes special pride in her heritage when abroad.

"People would always ask if it is a part of China, when they find out that I am from Taiwan. And every time, I say 'yes, of course.' Wherever I go, when I see the national flag, I cry. I feel the emotional bond whenever I see the things with Chinese elements when I was abroad."

Back in the 1980s, Lian entered the Fu Jen Catholic University, one of the top universities in Taiwan for learning English. After graduation, she started with an assistant position in a trading company and finally set up her own kindergarten with her friends in Taiwan.

In 2003, when Lian turned 39, she went to the Chinese mainland to do marketing promotion for a Taiwan-based English training school. And this trip, to some extent, changed her life. She met her "Mr. Right"--Wang Ping--on the last stop of her business trip.

That was during the SARS crisis, when the whole country was shrouded in the shadow of the deadly disease. Lian had a fever, which was considered as a symptom of SARS. Her colleagues kept away from her, but Wang Ping, who is a doctor and only met her a few times, flew to see her.

"When I met him at the airport, he put his hand on my head to see whether I still had a fever. To me, it's like meeting an old friend on a distant land. It was really warm. I said 'you were the only one that didn't fear the disease and cared about me. If I really had SARS, you would be dead.' I was touched by his actions."

Wang Ping, who is one year older than Lian, is also an undergraduate of the 1980s. Although one is from the mainland and the other is from across the straits, the two have a lot in common.

"When we were in the college, Taiwan campus songs were quite popular, such as 'Grandma's Penghu Bay' and 'The Olive Tree.' When we became closer, we talked about the ancient rhymes and found that we were both interested in that. We have so much in common and I really didn't feel the difference between where we came from."

"I've married him, therefore I have the responsibility to manage our home well. So I didn't go back to Taiwan. I chose to stay with him on the mainland."

Now, Lian is a guest speaker for a radio show in Taiwan. Every week, she talks about Qingdao on the show, from people's daily lives to the local customs and beautiful sceneries of the city.

"Every week, I have a different theme. I've talked about the flowers in spring and, next week, I'll talk about spring outings in the city. Then I plan to do a series about fruit picking. Taiwan is not familiar with the customs here in Qingdao. Therefore, they'll find my topics interesting. And because of this, I have the impetus to explore more unique aspects of the city."

To introduce Taiwan to the local Qingdao people is also on Lian Wenxing's agenda, such as the island's must-go places or where to find delicious food in Taiwan.

Bonded by people like Lian Wenxing, the Straits between the mainland and Taiwan becomes narrower.

For Studio Plus, I'm He Fei.