TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited a panda research center in Sichuan (四川) on Wednesday (Dec. 25), expressing hopes for improved cross-strait relations and the potential for more pandas to come to Taiwan. This marked his third visit to mainland China, where he was accompanied by officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office (國台辦). Ma also explored cultural and historical sites, including Dujiangyan (都江堰) and Mount Qingcheng (青城山).
During his tour, Ma engaged with experts who had previously escorted pandas Tuan Tuan (團團) and Yuan Yuan (圓圓) to Taiwan, underscoring the pandas' symbolic connection between the two sides of the strait. He also expressed admiration for the Sichuan opera's "face-changing" (變臉) performance in Dujiangyan, demonstrating a keen interest in local culture. At the Dujiangyan irrigation project, Ma lauded it as the world's oldest and only surviving dam-free water diversion project, calling it a precious piece of world cultural heritage.
Residents of China greeted Ma enthusiastically, with many snapping photos, impressing the accompanying officials with his charm and fanbase in China. Ma's visit spanned from Dec. 18 to Dec. 26, covering Heilongjiang (黑龍江) and Sichuan provinces. On Dec. 18, he also met with Song Tao (宋濤), director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, in Harbin (哈爾濱).
