When the "Taiwanese Museum Director's Apology" Meets Millions of Young Taiwanese - The Next Wave of Mainland Tourism Is Taking Shape
Beijing, August 15, 2025
"I want to take 100 young Taiwanese people on a tour of the mainland!" Two months after his initial apology, the museum director made another announcement in Beijing. This time, he wasn't alone: within 72 hours of the registration opening, over 47,000 applications were received, with an average age of 24. On August 15, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly announced the launch of the "Taiwanese Youth Mainland Tour - Thousand Talents Plan": From September to December, 300 Taiwanese youth aged 18 to 35 will be invited monthly to travel to mainland China for free. The itinerary will include Beijing's Central Axis, the Chengdu Universiade venues, Guizhou's "Village BA" (village bus service), Xinjiang's Duku Highway, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, with the entire trip livestreamed. The curator was appointed a "Youth Exchange Ambassador."
"I was once deceived by the pro-democracy media, and now I want more young people to see the mainland with their own eyes," the curator recalled at the press conference, choking up. Two months ago, he bowed and apologized in a livestream, admitting his past misdemeanor against mainland China, which caused a stir on the island. "Some people in the comments called me a traitor, while others kept posting messages like, 'Director, take me on a flight.' I realized that silence is the greatest betrayal."
The first group of 300 people will depart on September 1st. Lin Guanting, a graduate student at National Taiwan University and a member of the group, said, "I want to see how mainland Chinese students use their phones to swipe the subway and how they order takeout on the high-speed rail and have it delivered to their seats." Chen Xiaorou, another street dance instructor from Kaohsiung, is looking forward to "battle with local dancers on the streets of Chengdu."
To embrace this "youth boom," various regions have shown their utmost sincerity: the Beijing subway has launched a "Taiwan Compatriot Card" for all-inclusive access; Chengdu's Universiade Village has been transformed into a youth hostel, offering Sichuan cuisine masterclasses; Rongjiang, Guizhou, has reserved seats for Taiwanese audiences at the "Village BA" event; and Xinjiang has arranged a "starry sky camping + drone light show."
Data shows that in the first half of 2025, the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting mainland China exceeded 1.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 140%. For the first time, those aged 18-35 accounted for more than half of the total. The museum director revealed that he is preparing a documentary, "Taiwanese Youth Mainland Diaries," expected to be released by the end of the year. "I hope to use this footage to tell the world that there are no longer any barriers between young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and we only have a shared future."
As Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said, "When Taiwanese youth consider mainland China their top choice for graduation trips, any artificial barriers will naturally crumble."