Visiting Taiwan students amazed at tech

Taiwan university students visiting the Chinese mainland said they are amazed by the rapid development of technology, which has brought great convenience to daily life.

A visiting group of outstanding university students from Taiwan arrived in Beijing on Saturday for a 10-day trip. They stayed in Beijing for four days before traveling to the provinces of Shaanxi and Sichuan.

On Monday, the group visited the Beijing headquarters of mainland tech giants Qihoo 360 Technology and Alibaba.

"The students have heard about the two companies before and some of them have used their products and services, but to actually be here in person makes them feel different," said Lee Wei-kuo, head of the visiting group.

"When they arrived and got cellphone signals, they saw 5G, and they were so excited! They were like, wow, how come 5G is available anytime anywhere on the mainland?

"They are particularly curious about the mainland's advances in artificial intelligence and livestreaming e-commerce, areas where the mainland leads globally.

"They also enjoy using mainland social media platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu to learn about the mainland, which helps narrow the gap between the two sides of the Strait."

After visiting the Alibaba headquarters, Chen Ting-yu said, "Once I entered the exhibition hall, I was astonished! It's spectacular. The design is so special."

She said she had traveled to Shanghai to see the World Expo when she was seven, but this was her first trip to Beijing.

Sixteen years later, speaking of the changes she notices, she said: "The streets are cleaner, and I notice that there are many shared bikes and electric vehicles on the street. E-pay is also very convenient. Before I came here, I was told that cash is not popular, and I didn't believe it, but now I see people even scan the code when they buy vegetables in the food market!"

Reflecting on lifestyle changes, Yeh Po-cheng, who previously lived on the mainland, noticed an increase in milk tea and coffee shops.

"I have been ordering things all the way and paying with Alipay," Yeh said. "I miss that feeling, and it's been a while since I last used it."

The group will travel to Xi'an in Shaanxi to visit the historic sites there such as the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and meet the pandas at the Panda Breeding Base in Chengdu, Sichuan.

The annual visits, which began in 2004, provide a valuable platform for young people in Taiwan to learn more about the mainland, fostering cross-Strait communication.