Home>News Center>China
       
 

Lien's historic trip evokes rich memories
By Zhou Liming (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-04-28 05:55

When Lien Chan took off from Taipei on Tuesday morning, it was drizzling; but he was embraced with sunshine when he landed in Nanjing in the afternoon.

The change of weather dawned on at least one member of Lien's 70-strong delegation.

Joanna Lei, who is accompanying Lien on his ground-breaking journey, said the weather change is symbolic, and she sensed history in the making: "It would have taken just two and half hours from Taipei to Nanjing by direct flight, but we took 50-60 years."

Lien's historic trip evokes rich memories
Taiwan opposition KMT Chairman Lien Chan and wifeLien Fang-Yu visit the official residence of KMT founder Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province April 27. [newsphoto]

Lien, KMT chairman, was very emotional when he made his speech in Nanjing, China's capital when it was under KMT rule.

"I really missed you all," he said, moving several in the audience to tears.

Nanjing is very different from what he remembered when his mother took him on a boat trip from Chongqing, he said. But his mother-in-law was a Nanjing native and his wife considered herself a Nanjinger before she got married. Lien Chan was born in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Both Nanjing and Xi'an are on Lien's itinerary for the first trip after a 60-year absence. He and his Kuomintang are calling the expedition "the journey of peace."

And his goodwill is being reciprocated with an outpouring of hospitality, though tinged with a certain degree of curiosity.

In Nanjing yesterday, the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum opened its central gates for him. The local Zhuangyuanlou Hotel prepared delicacies like tea-leave eggs and osmanthus lotus. In Xi'an, he will be treated to a banquet in the Tang Dynasty style. A dance drama from the same era will be performed.

For the tour of his Xi'an alma mater, 100 students have rehearsed a special programme for this very different yet similar alum.

Lien's historic trip evokes rich memories
Lien Chan (C), KMT chairman, waves goodbye to well-wishers and officials seeing him off at the Nanjing airport April 28, 2005. Lien and his delegation are expected to arrive in Beijing before noon Thursday and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Jintao will meet him Friday afternoon. [Xinhua]
China Eastern Airlines, flying his delegation from Hong Kong to Nanjing, prepared special Shaanxi cuisine and had a flight attendant aboard who speaks the local dialect. But there is no need because Lien left Xi'an barely a teenager and can no longer speak the Shaanxi dialect.

Zhao Rumei, Lien's cousin still living in Xi'an, used to play with him when the two were small children. She said she could still recognize him when she spotted him on television.

Many residents in Ducheng Village in Xi'an's Chang'an District were glued to the tube. They were excited that one of their fellow villagers - and such a prominent person at that - was coming back for a visit. A few senior citizens reminisced about what they remember of Lien as a child.

"He was naughty, just like the other children," said Sun Shaoxin, who is eight years older than Lien. "I wish he could find time to drop in for a chat, just for old time's sake."

The Lien family originally hailed from Fujian Province and later moved to Taiwan. Lien Chan's grandfather is renowned for penning "The History of Taiwan." He moved to the mainland in 1911 and took the family back to Taiwan in 1946.

Ordinary netizens overwhelmingly support Lien's trip. As of Tuesday, more than 3,000 people left words of welcome on People's Daily's website.

"It's nice that Mr Lien has come back for a visit. I hope he will take back the sentiments of mainland compatriots. We're all one family and should unite for a brighter tomorrow," wrote one.

A survey undertaken by the Social Survey Institute of China, which questioned 1,000 people in several major mainland cities, revealed that 69 per cent believe that Lien's trip will "take cross-Straits relations out of the winter and into the spring," while 71 per cent said the "trip will broaden the road for dialogue."

Meanwhile, Lien's delegation is being mobbed by a 500-strong press gaggle wherever he goes, including 100 from Taiwan and 200 from the mainland. For the sake of security, they cannot "get up close and personal" because there is a three-metre off-limits zone.

(China Daily 04/28/2005 page5)



Fire kills 5 in Northeast China
Aerobatics show in Hunan
Final rehearsal
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  EU likely to impose tax on imports of Chinese shoes
   
  Bankers confident about future growth
   
  Curtain to be raised on Year of Russia
   
  Coal output set to reach record high of 2.5b tons
   
  WTO: China should reconsider currency plan
   
  China: Military buildup 'transparent'
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
KMT, CPC parties open historic dialogue
   
KMT leader to visit mainland April 26-May 3
   
KMT chief calls for new approach to mainland
   
Bon voyage: Lien leaves Taiwan for mainland
   
KMT leader lands in Nanjing after a 56-year absence
   
Lien: Common prosperity a top cross-Straits target
   
Lien Chan vows to follow in Sun's footsteps
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产精品美女www爽爽爽视频| 日本熟妇乱人伦XXXX| 免费在线色视频| 色噜噜狠狠一区二区三区果冻| 国产精亚洲视频| 91成人在线播放| 天天躁夜夜躁狠狠躁2021a| 中文字幕在线免费观看| 日韩a级一片在线观看| 亚洲va久久久噜噜噜久久男同| 正在播放pppd| 人妻巨大乳hd免费看| 精品大臿蕉视频在线观看| 国产三级在线观看视频不卡| 黑人巨茎大战欧美白妇| 国产精品亚洲一区二区三区在线 | 91精品免费高清在线| 女人高潮特级毛片| 一级黄色在线视频| 扒开双腿猛进入免费观看美女| 久久久精品一区| 日韩a无v码在线播放| 久久综合九色综合欧美狠狠| 樱花草在线社区www韩国| 亚洲国产婷婷综合在线精品| 欧美色成人tv在线播放| 亚洲综合伊人久久大杳蕉| 电台女诗岚第1到4部分| 免费看黄a级毛片| 亚洲午夜无码久久久久小说| 羞羞漫画在线成人漫画阅读免费 | 亚洲欧美日韩视频一区| 激情综合色五月丁香六月亚洲| 免费国产高清视频| 精品中文字幕乱码一区二区| 凹凸在线无码免费视频| 精品国产污污免费网站| 刚下班坐公交车被高c怎么办| 精品国产精品久久一区免费式| 又粗又大又爽又长又紧又水| 网友偷自拍原创区|