Taiwanese travelers are increasingly drawn to explore the Chinese mainland, driven by the allure of social media and the mainland’s extensive railway network. This growing interest was evident at the 2025 Tainan Travel Expo, currently underway in southern Taiwan. The event features a booth by the Kaohsiung office of the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits and Fujian province’s cultural and tourism department, showcasing Fujian’s top attractions and travel routes.
Carol Liu, a local resident planning a trip to Fujian next year, shared her positive experiences from three mainland trips over the past year. She highlighted the affordability and quality of food and accommodations, which have changed her friends’ initial hesitations. Liu also expressed hope for more direct flights to facilitate easier access to various destinations.
Nino Wang from Kaohsiung recounted her month-long solo journey across more than a dozen mainland destinations, including the lesser-known border city of Ruili in Yunnan. She praised the kindness of locals and the ease of travel, expressing a desire to visit Quanzhou in Fujian soon.
Wang Hsien-wen, vice director of the Tainan Association of Travel Agents, noted the mainland’s high-speed railway system’s role in making travel more accessible. He observed a shift among young travelers from traditional nature-focused trips to city-based explorations, inspired by social media platforms like RedNote and Douyin. Chongqing, with its unique metro train passing through an apartment building and the iconic Hongya Cave, has become a new favorite.
Despite this enthusiasm, practical obstacles remain. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan have yet to lift the ban on organized group tours to the mainland or remove the travel alert for Taiwan residents. Direct cross-Strait flights and routes are also not fully restored. Wang Hsien-wen hopes for the restoration and expansion of direct flights, which would save travelers time and allow for more extensive exploration.