Cross-Straits Happy Life Festival entertains 10m visitors

The 2018 Cross-Straits Happy Life Festival came to an end in Haicang, a district in Xiamen, Fujian province on Dec 22.

Starting in September, the three-month festival has entertained 10 million visitors from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Themed on "Cross-Straits residents jointly realize Chinese dreams", the festival featured four parts: happy to do charity, happy to work, happy to show talents and happy to do physical exercise.

In addition to the original popular activities, such as the Cross-Straits Chinese Character Festival, Tea Competition, children's art exhibitions and the Xiamen Haicang International Half Marathon, the festival this year also offered another five activities, including a traditional tea serving ceremony, the Cross-Straits Artware Exhibition, and an award ceremony for outstanding teachers and students.

As a highlight of the annual event, the Chinese Character of the Year, "望" ("expectation" in English), was disclosed at an awards ceremony for the 2018 Cross-Straits Chinese Character Festival held in Taipei on Dec 14.

"The Happy Life Festival originated from Taiwan," said Chen Geng, chairman of the Minnan Culture Research Institute in Xiamen, at the closing ceremony. "To hold such a festival in the Chinese mainland is very helpful to promote cross-Straits cultural exchanges."

Yang Tu, a renowned Taiwan cultural scholar, also believes the Cross-Straits Happy Life Festival will inspire its participants to slow down their lives and look for a happier way of living.