Cross-Strait bonds shine in Spring Festival fireworks show

XIAMEN/TAIPEI - More than 40,000 fireworks illuminated the night on Tuesday as the coastal mainland city of Xiamen in Fujian province and nearby Kinmen island staged their joint fireworks display to mark the Spring Festival.

The 30-minute show started at 8 pm on the first day of the Year of the Horse, with fireworks bursting from both Xiamen and Kinmen, which are less than two kilometers apart at their closest point.

Launched in 1987, the annual event has become a longstanding tradition highlighting close ties between Xiamen and Kinmen.

Crowds gathered along waterfronts on both sides to watch the show, accompanied by festive music. Kinmen residents also staged traditional lion dances to bring good fortune for the Chinese New Year.

Chang Yang-yang, a young man from Kinmen, attended the joint fireworks display for the third time. "When both sides set off fireworks together, it shows we are one family," he said.

For Han Ying-huan, a Taiwan businessman in Xiamen, the joint fireworks show carried special significance.

"Compatriots across the Strait are full of expectations for cross-Strait integration, wishing that both sides will realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

New Year celebrations are also held between Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, and neighboring Matsu island, where residents display lanterns to showcase shared folk traditions. This year marks the 24th edition of such celebrations.

These celebrations come as cross-Strait travel continues to recover driven by the Chinese mainland's sustained efforts to promote tourism and facilitate travel for Taiwan residents. In 2025, cross-Strait visits exceeded 5 million, reaching a six-year high.

Fujian resumed group tours to Kinmen and Matsu in 2024. Earlier this month, the mainland announced that it would soon restart similar tours for residents of Shanghai.

"I hope more people from the mainland will visit Kinmen to experience its traditional culture and local snacks," Chang said.

At a recent high-level meeting on Taiwan affairs, Beijing vowed to further facilitate cross-Strait travel, expand non-governmental and grassroots exchanges, and encourage joint efforts to promote Chinese culture across the Strait.

Peng O-ya, a Taipei native who has lived in Xiamen for nearly 30 years, shared the fireworks with relatives back in Taiwan via video call.

"I hope that compatriots across the Strait can work hand in hand, strive together in this promising era, and jointly fulfill their beautiful aspirations," she said.