In a rare cross-strait gesture, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun led a delegation to Beijing's Fragrant Hills this week to honor Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary icon both sides of the Taiwan Strait revere. The visit marks the first mainland trip by a KMT leader in a decade, sparking discussions about evolving cross-strait ties. 🕊️
At Biyun Temple's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the group bowed three times before the marble statue of the leader who helped overthrow China's imperial system in 1911. The temple once housed Sun's remains before their 1929 transfer to Nanjing's mausoleum – a site the delegation visited earlier this week during their Jiangsu Province tour.
Accompanied by three KMT vice-chairpersons, Cheng's itinerary included stops in Shanghai and Beijing since Tuesday. Analysts note the timing coincides with renewed cultural diplomacy efforts, though neither side has confirmed political negotiations. 📅
Sun Yat-sen's legacy remains a unifying symbol in cross-strait discourse, with both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan region celebrating his role in modern Chinese history. The KMT, which Sun founded, last held power in Taiwan in 2016 but maintains cultural and historical ties to the mainland.
