Cultural traditions stand the test of time

Many of those who were seeking refuge were grouped into eight family names, brought wealth and cultural traditions that boosted economic and social developments in Fujian. They also integrated into local communities to create new cultural traditions.

Another noticeable relocation in the province started some 1,000 years later, amid the instability of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).This time, people in Fujian left, in large numbers, to an island just across a narrow passageway of sea, known as Taiwan today.

It is no wonder that residents on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share a lot in common, in the aspects of social etiquette, folklore, cuisine, dialects and styles of classic architecture, among others. The situation is especially true with Fujian from where many migrants settled in Taiwan.