Former Kuomintang leader Ma Ying-jeou wrapped up a two-week cultural journey with Taiwan students to the Chinese mainland this week – his fourth youth-focused exchange since 2023. The trip peaked at Dunhuang's ancient Mogao Grottoes, where 1,600-year-old Buddhist art became the backdrop for calls to preserve shared heritage.
📜 'These caves are like a real-life TikTok trend that's lasted 16 centuries,' Ma told students during a cultural seminar, highlighting how Silk Road-era creativity still resonates today. The 73-year-old politician has become an unlikely Gen-Z connector, using historical sites as bridges for modern dialogue.
🌏 The marathon visit – Ma's longest yet – comes as cross-strait educational exchanges rebound post-pandemic. Over 30 Taiwan students visited mainland universities, with one participant calling it 'mind-blowing to see our cultural roots in HD.'
⚡ Why it matters: With tensions simmering in the Taiwan Strait, these student trips are becoming diplomatic safe zones. As one Beijing-based analyst noted: 'You can't hate what you understand – that's why culture first, politics later works.'
