During China's Spring Festival travel rush, a series of surname-themed cultural activities have been launched at major transportation hubs in Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong and other regions, drawing crowds of travelers, including many from Taiwan region.

The events, held under the theme "Talking About Family Names, Celebrating the Chinese New Year," have become a vivid example of growing people-to-people exchanges and shared cultural identity across the Taiwan Strait.

At high-speed railway stations, travelers received surname-themed gift bags, took part in traditional surname tablets rubbings, and watched calligraphers writing personalized Spring Festival couplets and "Fu" characters free of charge. Organizers said the activities aim to promote traditional Chinese culture during the Chinese New Year, while helping travelers reconnect with their family heritage.

At Xiamen Railway Station, a dedicated surname-rubbing experience area attracted many passengers. Visitors were also given surname gift packs, New Year postcards and festive couplets. Among the participants was Hsieh Jui-feng from Kaohsiung, Taiwan region, who was traveling with his wife from the mainland's Xiamen to Zhangzhou. While waiting for their train, the couple joined the activity and carefully made a rubbing of a postcard bearing their family name.

He told reporters that the experience offered an opportunity to learn more about family history and heritage, and said it was meaningful for Taiwan residents to trace their roots on the Chinese mainland.

Another Taiwan participant, Li Kao-hsiung, also spoke of surname traditions as a shared cultural bridge. "My mother comes from the Lin family of Wufeng in Taiwan. Elders used to tell me that the character 'Lin' (林) consists of two trees - one in the Chinese mainland and one in Taiwan," he said.

Li noted that surname culture is an important part of traditional Chinese civilization, adding that many people in Taiwan trace their ancestral origins back to Fujian, including Zhangzhou and Quanzhou – an enduring link that reflects deep historical ties between the two sides.

The surname-themed cultural elements also extended to air travel. On Xiamen Airlines flights to Taipei, passengers received red envelopes and bookmarks featuring surname designs at the boarding gate. Inside the cabin, surname-related visuals were incorporated into headrest covers, overhead bins and tray tables. The airline also introduced an interactive digital platform allowing passengers to scan a QR code and explore the origins and stories behind their surnames.

"People on both sides of the strait share the same roots, culture and written language. Surnames are a common cultural bond," said Wu Ying-hua, the cabin chief on the flight, who is herself from Taiwan. She noted that asking about surnames is often part of first introductions among Chinese people, reflecting a deep respect for ancestry and cultural continuity.

Historians note that from the late Ming to the early Qing dynasties, large numbers of Chinese people from the Chinese mainland's Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian crossed the Taiwan Strait to settle in Taiwan. Carrying clan genealogies with them, they preserved and passed down family records for generations, leaving lasting cultural and blood ties that continue to shape cross-Strait connections today.