Cross-Strait Travel Fair Opens: Empress Wu Zetian and Electric Three Princes Compete for Popularity

▲ Taiwan’s exhibition area features Electric Three Princes performances, showcasing a lively and approachable vibe. (Photo by reporter Chen Ruizhong, same below)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Xiamen Reporting

The 11th Cross-Strait Tourism Expo officially launched today (May 8) in Xiamen. Drawing on past experience, the event brings together tourism resources from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea to promote mutual exchange. This year’s expo is the largest yet, with 1,500 booths and over 15,000 attendees. Taiwan’s exhibition area covers 1,356 square meters, twice as large as last year and the biggest in history.

▲ The 11th Cross-Strait Tourism Expo officially opened today (May 8).

With significantly upgraded venue size and stage technology, this year’s expo feels even more vibrant. Beyond traditional folk music, carnival dances, and bikini model shows, visitors can also spot the ever-popular, elaborately dressed “Empress Wu Zetian” mingling around the venue. Taiwanese booths also offer unique attractions like body painting shows, Ah Zhong puppetry, Electric Three Princes, and lion dance troupes—pulling out all the stops to draw attention.

▲ Ah Zhong Puppetry performs comedic hand puppet tricks.

This year, exhibitors from all over Taiwan participated, with Kinmen dedicating nearly 300 square meters to a massive replica of Kinmen’s ancient city and staging several special performances. Xie Weijun, Chairman of the Cross-Strait Tourism Association and Director of the Tourism Bureau under Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation, stated at the event that the expo facilitates multi-faceted exchanges between the two sides’ tourism industries and promotes Taiwan’s tourism. Since Taiwan opened to mainland tourists in 2008, over 15 million have visited, but itineraries often lack diversity. Thus, the Tourism Bureau has recently been promoting tribal, island, and high-end travel experiences to allow international visitors deeper exploration of Taiwan. Additionally, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum is set to open by year’s end, further boosting Taiwan’s appeal.

▲ This year’s expo featured body painting, captivating many attendees.

The expo strengthened cross-strait exchanges in rural tourism and leisure agriculture, setting up a dedicated rural tourism zone. As a result, local culture, agricultural specialties, and unique homestays became key promotional focuses for many Taiwanese counties and cities. Ye Zhihang, Secretary-General of Miaoli County Government, noted that Miaoli’s booth highlighted local leisure agriculture and distinctive homestays to attract mainland tourists.

▲ Taiwan’s exhibition area reached 1,356 square meters this year, the largest ever.

Beyond the popular Taiwan Pavilion, regions including Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Thailand also joined the expo to share the latest travel information. Lin Xiushan, a sales executive from Resorts World Genting in Malaysia, mentioned that Genting will launch a new themed tourism collaboration with 20th Century Fox in 2016, offering fresh attractions for travelers to Malaysia.

▲ The trendy Empress Wu Zetian became a highlight of the exhibition.

Held in Xiamen, the expo saw participation from Fujian, Guangdong, and other provinces such as Henan and Heilongjiang, with all 28 mainland provinces represented. Various stages featured dozens of performances, including spring tea art from Longyan City and the Fanpai Wooden Drum Dance of the Miao ethnic group.

▲ Kinmen’s booth featured a grand replica of an ancient city, impressive in scale.

Xu Hongjie from the marketing department of Nanjing Tulou, a representative attraction in Xiamen, noted that Nanjing Tulou is known for its “Four Dishes and One Soup” architectural style and nearby 5A scenic spots like Yunshuiyao, making it ideal for Taiwanese visitors. On November 21, an international marathon will be held among the tulou, combining challenge and fun.

▲ To enhance the resort island atmosphere, Pingtan Tourism Bureau organized a bikini model show.

The Cross-Strait Tourism Expo runs from May 8 to 10. This year marks the first time all exhibition areas feature on-site sales, with many booths offering rich promotional packages and giveaways. The Kinmen booth revealed it provided discounted travel ticket packages this year, aiming to attract more visitors to Kinmen’s tourism market.

▲ In addition to mainland and Taiwanese booths, multiple Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, also exhibited at the fair.

▲ Traditional folk performance at Fujian Tulou.