Ma Ying-jeou led a group of Taiwan students on an 11-day trip to the Chinese mainland. It was the second such tour for the former Kuomintang party leader, and comes as tensions soar across the Taiwan Straits. As Taiwan is preparing for next month's inauguration of William Lai Ching-te from the Democratic Progressive Party, many have wondered if, at 74 years of age, Ma Ying-jeou should be enjoying a peaceful life away from hectic public engagements. But despite criticism from the Pan-Green Party, he insists on facing the pressure head-on. So, what exactly is the significance of his mainland trip? Huang Yichang followed the group to find out.