Chen Yiting (L) and Zheng Ruying (R) traveled to Guilin during their honeymoon in 2000. (Photo/CGTN)
The ups and downs of cross-Strait relations don't seem to hinder people separated by the Taiwan Strait from tying the knot. As more channels of communication and exchange are being opened, more cross-Strait marriages are being registered.
Back in the 1990s, it was rather difficult for Chen Jingqiu to marry a mainlander because Taiwan and the Chinese mainland were nearly on the brink of war. Chen said it was equivalent to the situation on the Korean Peninsula nowadays. But now things are looking up.
Living in a villa in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province and running their own bakery, their life is quite desirable. But it was not like this when she first met Wang Chuncheng, a businessman, who is now her husband.
"The Chinese mainland was backward. The roads weren't cement-paved, and I could feel the bumpy roads even if I was in a car," said Chen Jingqiu.
"At the time, Taiwan's economy was much better than the mainland's, because the mainland was not opened to Taiwan yet. Economy-wise, there was a big gap," said Wang Chuncheng, a local businessman.
Politics was not taboo in their marriage, but they would never let it creep into their lives.
"We were not really worried about the cross-Strait politics. As long as people's lives are getting better, I'm totally fine," added Wang.
Another couple was very much like this one. Chen Yiting, an investor from Taiwan, married Zheng Ruying back in the 1990s as well.
But unfortunately for them, their parents were opposed to the marriage at the time.
"Her family used to have a bad impression of people from Taiwan. They thought some of us were charlatans. My family and friends had the same reaction then – they were surprised that I would marry someone from the mainland," recalled Chen Yiting.
But now it seems those were all unnecessary concerns. They make frequent visits to Taiwan, and their three kids are growing up well.
Over the past three decades, over 9,000 women born in Taiwan have married Chinese mainlanders in Fuzhou alone. They may have different political backgrounds, but they share the same culture and pursuit of a better life.
