Mainland life tugs at guitar maker's heartstrings

"Moreover, life in Zhangzhou is very similar to southern Taiwan, with no significant differences in language or diet," he said, adding that he has never felt unfamiliar or uncomfortable working and living in the city.

Earlier, Hsu said he was a singer who collaborated with such artists as Mayday, Jam Hsiao, Chang Chenyue and other pop stars from Taiwan to perform on the mainland, and he was warmly welcomed by fans.

He said the enthusiasm of the mainland fans deeply moved him.

"The mainland fans like me and I also like them. It's music that helps build a bridge to connect Taiwan with the mainland," Hsu said.

"When I was a singer, I was thinking about when the Chinese people would be able to use guitars made in China, and no longer have to purchase guitars made in America and Europe."

To this end, Hsu went to the US and European countries to study how to make guitars and began teaching guitar-making skills after returning to Taiwan.

With his increasing popularity in Taiwan, more and more mainland guitar makers traveled to the island to seek his advice.

Hsu then established a guitar workshop in Fujian to promote his guitar-making skills to meet the growing demand. He had more than 100 apprentices and a group of guitar enthusiasts accompanying him at that time, which helped him better appreciate life on the mainland.