Taiwan musicians enjoy life together in Fujian

Chang Chia-hao and Lin Chia-chen, two musicians from Taiwan, call their rented apartment in Fuzhou, Fujian province, "a nest of romance".

With simple furniture and decor, the apartment has served as both home and musical workshop.

Lin, a violinist born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, went to Cambodia in 2019 for a performance and met her future husband, Chang, another band's bass player. Chang was also from Taiwan.

Having the same aspirations and interests in music, they fell in love and married in April 2021.

Chang had been traveling more often than Lin for performances in Asia until the global outbreak of COVID-19. With little business at home, he was persuaded by friends to seek career development in Fuzhou.

Soon after the couple's honeymoon, Chang went to Fuzhou, where he became a music teacher at a local education institute. Lin remained in Taiwan, saying she would support any decision made by her husband.

Chang soon organized a band with local musicians. In the off hours, the band performed at a local live venue, and its popularity grew in the city.

Chang said he would have long phone calls with his wife every day and tell her how happy his life had been. The stories meant a lot to Lin, and she moved to Fuzhou in January 2022.

She joined a symphony orchestra made up of musicians from Taiwan and the mainland.

"The local people's dietary habits and dialect are very similar to those in Taiwan, so my wife soon adapted to the new life here," Chang said.

Recently, Lin became a music teacher at several schools in Fuzhou, and the couple established their own startup business for musical composition and performance. It keeps them busy but they're joyful.

"The mainland is a huge market for musical performance, and it provides great opportunities," Chang said.