Filmmaker captures how cross-Strait roots still run deep

As a Taiwan director who has worked on the mainland for more than a decade, Chiu Ching-ling has used his camera to capture the subtle, genuine connections between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait — from tea trees passed down through generations to ancestral homes of Taiwan compatriots on the mainland.

Last week, Chiu wrapped up filming Memories of Yunnan Black Tea in Baoshan, Yunnan province. Centered on family ties across the Taiwan Strait, the film follows a Taiwan woman on a journey to seek the roots of her foster father, who came from the mainland.

During the shoot, Chiu met an elderly tea farmer in Baoshan who tends a 300-year-old tea tree.

"The farmer said that his father had promised his brother, who had moved to Taiwan and traded tea, that every year, after the spring tea was made, he would set aside one tea cake for him," Chiu said.

When Chiu visited him, the tea farmer took a well-preserved aged tea cake, carefully wrapped in wax paper, from a wooden chest.

"He kept the promise for more than 60 years," Chiu said.

The farmer handed the tea cake to Chiu, saying it had finally been delivered to his brother's descendants.

"This bond that has endured across decades is more moving than any script could ever be," Chiu said.

Chiu has worked in Taiwan's media industry and for several mainland television companies. In recent years, he has devoted himself to directing micro-dramas and creating content for his personal social media accounts.

Seeking ancestral roots has been a recurring theme in his videos. Chiu himself is a descendant of people who migrated from Fujian province to Taiwan, and several years ago he returned to his ancestral home in Fujian.

"The moment I stood at the entrance of the old family house and touched the weathered wooden door, exactly as my grandfather had described it, I suddenly understood that profound sense of reassurance that comes with realizing this is where my roots are," Chiu said.

Chiu said genuine connections across the Strait often emerge in simple moments, such as when people exchange a few words in the same dialect and their eyes immediately light up with recognition.

"It's also that moment when you find yourself on an unfamiliar street and suddenly realize that the local food and eating habits are the same as those your family has followed for decades," he said.

Chiu has sought to capture these moments to show that the roots of people on both sides of the Strait have always been intertwined.

"The bonds were never severed," he added.

His videos have attracted audiences on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and he has also won an award for a documentary about his return to his ancestral home on the mainland.

Short videos and micro-dramas from the mainland have gained popularity in Taiwan, resonating particularly with young people on the island, Chiu said. At the same time, an increasing number of Taiwan content creators like Chiu are seeking opportunities to develop their careers on the mainland.

Chiu said he believes high-quality cultural content can transcend barriers and touch people's hearts. Cultural exchanges across the Strait have become smoother in recent years, with more creators from both sides working together, he said, adding that more space could be created to allow quality content to reach audiences on both sides.

The mainland has implemented measures to promote the joint production of short and micro-dramas by creators from Taiwan and the mainland, as part of the 10 policy measures introduced in April following the Chinese Kuomintang delegation's visit to the mainland.

Like Chiu, many Taiwan content creators who came to the mainland initially faced difficulties because they were unfamiliar with local regulations and markets. However, drawing on his 15 years of experience, Chiu said Taiwan creators have distinct advantages, as their different perspectives can bring fresh ideas and new approaches to content creation.

"It takes time to settle down and run in," he said, encouraging young content creators from Taiwan to explore more opportunities on the mainland.

From a passerby to a professional who has put down roots on the mainland, Chiu reflected on his journey over the years and said, "I am a hundred percent sure that this is one of the best decisions I have made in my life."