Compatriots on both sides of the strait share the passion and happiness of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (Cross-Strait Observation)

In a few days, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will open. As a sports person, I am sincerely proud that my motherland can host this international sports event.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is a grand event of global ice and snow sports, a platform for compatriots on both sides of the strait to join hands and share the glory, and I call on compatriots on both sides of the strait to hold hands and share the passion, glory and joy of the Winter Olympics and move forward together to the future.

When the 2008 Beijing Olympics were held, I was studying at Changhua Normal University in Taiwan, majoring in physical education. At that time, I was extremely excited to see the enthusiasm of the whole motherland for the Olympic Games and the rapid construction and development of other fields, and I looked forward to one day witnessing and participating in the major sports events held by the motherland. Therefore, on December 5, 2019, when I learned that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Organizing Committee released a message to recruit volunteers, I signed up for the first time, hoping to participate in the Winter Olympics through volunteer service. At that time, I had been in the mainland for 8 years. These 8 years are also 8 years of rapid development of the mainland.

I was amazed at the speed at which the mainland's transportation infrastructure was being built. Two years ago, if I, a ski enthusiast, wanted to go to Chongli Ski Resort, I needed to take a two-hour bus ride from Beijing to Zhangjiakou before I could rent a car to reach the ski resort. In 2021, I had the privilege of riding the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway built for the Winter Olympics from Beijing North Railway Station to Zhangjiakou Chongli, which only takes 1 hour, and the ride environment is very comfortable and safe. The mainland's ability to improve its transportation infrastructure has greatly shocked me. Later, because I participated in different cross-strait youth exchange activities, I went to Zhangjiakou in different seasons, and every time I went, I was given a lot of freshness, where the city was more livable, the environment was better, the economy was very developed, the transportation was very convenient, and the green Olympic concept and sustainable development concept were realized in Zhangjiakou.

In 2011, I came to Beijing from Taiwan to study, and after graduation, I stayed in Beijing to work. When I am on the mainland, I feel that my vision is wider and the stage of development is bigger. With a grateful heart, I sincerely hope that more young people in Taiwan will be like me, through cross-strait exchanges, understand the objective and true mainland, and reflect on where their roots are. In the process of cross-strait integration and development, what is the stage of one's own life? My personal thinking is that I can give full play to my professional advantages and use sports as a medium to build a bridge for cross-strait non-governmental exchanges and exchanges. In addition, I have always insisted on volunteering. In 2021, I was honored to participate in the volunteer service work of the Beijing Winter Olympic Test Match, planning and organizing the 2021 Cross-Strait University Students Ice and Snow Carnival series of activities. In 2022, I will continue to organize and hold the Beijing Winter Olympic Cloud Lecture into the island's colleges and universities, and will also actively participate in the volunteer service work of the Winter Olympic City.

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, athletes from Taiwan are expected to compete in speed skating, bobsleigh and alpine skiing. In addition, more than 30 Taiwanese students studying in Beijing universities have been successfully selected as volunteers for the Games, and will participate in event services, media operations, sports, transportation and other services in the Olympic Public Area, the Main Media Center, the National Stadium and other venues.

It is believed that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will come in a dozen days, and China will surely show the world a vivid picture of a country with 5,000 years of profound civilization and practice of the modern Olympic spirit. As a son and daughter of the motherland, I sincerely hope that through my own eyes, my own mouth and my own pen, I will tell the Chinese story well, spread the Chinese voice, and pass on the grand occasion of the Beijing Winter Olympics to the compatriots on the island for the first time. (The author is Taiwanese youth Chen Wencheng)