WANG WENJIN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE More than 80 people with the surname Zhang traveled from Taiwan to Xiamen, Fujian, in August to discover their roots. People are studying their family trees and age-old stories in the hope of reconnecting with long-lost relatives. Zhang Yi reports from Xiamen, Fujian. On June 9, Huang Ching-hsiung woke at about 3 am in his hotel bed in Xiamen, Fujian province. He was too excited to sleep. At daybreak, he was one of a group of 11 members of his family that set out to visit Pujin, a village two hours from downtown Xiamen by road. The settlement has the same name as Huang's home village in Lugang town, Changhua, Taiwan, and most of the residents are named Huang. The Huangs on Taiwan are direct descendents of settlers who arrived on the island centuries ago. Several batches of Fujian residents moved to Taiwan during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in the hope of making their fortunes, and those who were members of the same family banded together as they fought to make new lives. They named the places they settled after their hometowns and retained the customs they had brought from the mainland. Roughly 80 percent of Taiwan residents share blood ties with people from Fujian. About 110 settlements on either side of the Taiwan Straits that share the same village and family names have established official exchange programs, according to the Fujian-Taiwan Compatriots' Association. In the 1980s, the descendants of those early settlers started visiting the mainland to discover their roots, inspired by family histories passed down through generations. Place your feet on the land our ancestors came from, Huang's father told him, shortly before he died 12 years ago. custom wrist sweatbandscustomise fidget spinnerfabric wristbands ebay24hourwristbands202mm to inchescustom printed wristbands24 hour wristbands coupon code
Moon Jae-in of the liberal Minjoo Party speaks during a celebration event in Seoul, South Korea, on May 9, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] SEOUL - Moon Jae-in was sworn in as new South Korean president on Wednesday and soon after an inaugural ceremony, he appointed new prime minister, intelligence agency chief, presidential chief of staff and chief of the presidential security. The inaugural ceremony was held at a main hall of the parliamentary building, just hours after the election results were confirmed by the national election commission. Moon won a landslide victory in the country's presidential race. Right after the confirmation, his presidential power came into force as he has no usual transition period for the impeachment of his predecessor. In a televised inaugural speech, Moon said he will be on the move for peace on the Korean Peninsula, vowing to visit Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), under right conditions. The new leader vowed to sincerely consult with the United States and China to resolve the issue on the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. Part of the US missile interception system has been transported to the THAAD deployment site in the country's southeastern region, causing strong protests from anti-THAAD activists and residents. Moon argued for a parliamentary ratification and public consensus for the THAAD installation that can influence the South Korean society from the diplomatic, security and economic perspectives. Following the brief inauguration ceremony, Moon went on a motorcade from the National Assembly building to the presidential Blue House.
