Reporter's log: The beauty of Xiamen

The Kah Kee architecture at the Jimei School in Xiamen is seen in this photo. [Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. As a journalist covering the Magnificent Seventy Years, Struggling for a New Era report, I was very happy to travel to the beautiful coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province. Having once visited Xiamen as a tourist, I wanted to learn more about city and record its beauty in my videos. So, one person, one camera, I set off.

Jimei District in Xiamen city is the hometown of the famed overseas patriot Tan Kah Kee. The Jimei School and Xiamen University, which he founded, have been sets for many movies filmed with their unique Kah Kee architecture as a backdrop, while the Kah Kee spirit alive in the buildings reflects the cultural heritage of Xiamen and the beauty of humanity.

Tech company Meitu, based in Xiamen Software Park, has created the "beauty camera, "Meitu Xiuxiu", and other software popular with young people love, their technology promoting an aesthetic of beauty.

China Daily reporter Yang Yi. [Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

What impressed me most on my trip was the fusion of different worlds: Xiamen, a former coastal line of defense in times of confrontation, has now become a shared home of integrative development. On the day I went to the Taiwan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base in Xiamen North Station, I caught up with a "flash" event held by the general labor union of Xiamen. Representatives of cross-Straits workers and entrepreneurs sang "Me and My Country" to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

After the event, base co-founder Liu Boxuan told me, "This activity is really good. It will allow more young people and workers on both sides of the Straits to have more contact and exchanges. It will also make the young people who come to the mainland to start a business become more grounded."

Lai Shuzhen, a girl from Taiwan at the base, has been in Xiamen for more than two years. She said, "I think the young people on the mainland are much more brilliant than I thought. The logical thinking I learned from them is very useful for me."

Along with the young people who came to Xiamen to start businesses, I also interviewed businessman from Taiwan who came to Xiamen for investment. Zhan Shufen came in 2006 and took over a steel factory founded by his father. After more than 10 years in Xiamen, she said she can’t get used to the life in Taiwan when she goes back, because Alipay and WeChat pay cannot be easily used. Now Zhan’s sister and her children also live in Xiamen, which makes me feel that "the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family" is not just a slogan, but a way of life.

After the 10-day trip from April 10-19, I think that Xiamen is not only a high-value city with ecological gardens, but also a high-quality city with innovation and entrepreneurship. This city, known for its beauty, has a bright future.