Culinary connections across the Strait

The duo enjoyed a play named The Homecoming, which also revolved around memories and heritage tied to a bowl of beef noodles. The play was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from April 3 to 6. The protagonist, a soldier from the Chinese mainland who has lived in Taiwan for over 40 years, tries to replicate the Taiwan-Sichuan-style beef noodles to evoke memories of his mother. Eventually, he succeeds in creating the perfect taste as he reunites with his relatives back in the Chinese mainland.

The play was a journey of rediscovering a long-lost taste and reconnecting with one's roots. "Our stage design was inspired by the nostalgic military dependents' village, set in the 1980s when communication and travel across the Taiwan Strait had just resumed," said Li Zhixi, the Taiwan actor portraying the protagonist.

Li expressed a deep personal connection to his character, drawing parallels between the character's story and his own family narrative. "I come from a family of Peking Opera masters. My father was unable to return to the Chinese mainland after performing in Taiwan in 1949 and passed away before he could revisit his hometown," he said.

Last year, Li visited Xiongxian, North China's Hebei province, where his grandparents originally came from, and brought back some soil to Taiwan. "I placed it in front of my father and uncle's tombs and said to them, 'This is the soil from home,'" he said.

Lin also resonated with the protagonist's story. His grandfather returned to the Chinese mainland and visited his ancestral home in the 1980s. "I vividly remember a photo of him and his siblings paying respects to their parents, and there was a scene in the play that was quite similar," said Lin. "It was a touching and powerful moment, highlighting the tragic separation from family and hometown."

Wang Licheng noted that toward the end of the play, the actors turned to face the audience and started talking. "By breaking the fourth wall at that moment, they drew the audience into the story," he said. "This allowed the audience to relate to and connect with the characters. While the audience for each performance may be limited, sharing and discussing these stories with more people can have a larger impact across the Strait."

Tracing one's roots is essential to identity and is deeply ingrained in every Chinese person. Wang Licheng shares this sentiment, as he has moved between cities and his family members hail from different provinces.

"Recently, Ma Ying-jeou led college students from Taiwan on a trip to retrace their roots in the Chinese mainland. They visited Ma's ancestral home in Hunan province and the tomb of Emperor Huangdi, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese people, in Shaanxi province," said Wang Licheng. "They also toured Peking University and engaged in close and delightful conversations with students there."

Lin also stressed the importance of fostering exchange between the younger generations across the Strait. "It's crucial for young people in Taiwan to learn and rediscover their roots. As the future leaders of the country, enhancing communication and exchanges among these young individuals is essential for mutual understanding and development."

lixinran@i21st.cn