Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited a county museum during his inspection in Xiaogan City, central China's Hubei Province on Monday afternoon.
At the Yunmeng County Museum, Xi learned about local efforts to strengthen the protection, research and utilization of cultural relics.
This is a distinctive county-level museum in Hubei and a national second-class museum. It has a collection of more than 5,000 pieces of cultural relics, including 49 pieces of national first-class cultural relics, 64 pieces of national second-class cultural relics, and 242 pieces of third-class ones.
Among them the most precious are the Yunmeng Shuihudi Bamboo Slips, the first bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC) discovered in China's history of archaeology, including two letters written on wooden strips by two Qin soldiers and brothers known only as Heifu and Jing, addressing to their elder brother named Zhong. Excavated in Yunmeng in 1975, they are the earliest family letters discovered and unearthed in China.
The museum was renovated from 2022 to 2023, and the upgraded museum now hosts a general history exhibition and two special exhibitions, becoming a new cultural symbol in the region.
Xi visits Yunmeng County Museum in Hubei
Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation announced on Monday that it plans to invite 40 faculty members and students from seven mainland universities to visit the island, following a successful visit of mainland college students in 2023.
According to Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the foundation, the visit is scheduled to take place from Nov 27 for nine days and eight nights. The mainland students and teachers will be from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University and Beijing Sport University. The students will include Olympic champions, table tennis gold medalist Ma Long from Beijing Sport University, and shooting gold medalist Yang Qian from Tsinghua University.
They will visit six universities in Taiwan, including Taiwan University, Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Chengchi University, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, and Chang Gung University, as well as the Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, Hsiao added.
"This time, we have also invited Olympic men's table tennis champion Ma Long, who is popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as Olympic women's shooting champion Yang Qian. I hope they will interact and exchange with students in Taiwan during the nine-day and eight-night visit," said Hsiao.
Hsiao also said that the foundation will submit applications to relevant authorities and hopes for swift approval to facilitate the visit.
"Without exchanges at various levels, there will be fewer opportunities for mutual understanding between the two sides of the Strait, which could result in unnecessary misunderstandings. We urge the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to be more confident and open, rather than retrogressing and isolating both sides of the Strait through political maneuvering," said the executive director.
In addition, the itinerary will also include visits to scenic spots such as Sun Moon Lake so that mainland students will have an in-depth understanding of Taiwan's history and natural beauty. The foundation will also arrange baseball experience activities for mainland visitors, allowing them to engage firsthand with Taiwan's popular baseball culture.
This is the second such visit planned by the foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan, positively impacting cross-Strait relations.
In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, also led youth groups from Taiwan on visits to the mainland.
Ma Ying-jeou foundation invites mainland college students to visit Taiwan
