Sept 6 was a special day for Taiwan businessman Lan Zandeng. After 23 years living in Guizhou province, he received the first residence permit for a Taiwan resident living in Guiyang.

Residence permit applications for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents became available on Sept 1. In addition to Lan, another 164 people have applied for the residence permit at public security organizations in Guizhou.

A worker collects Lan's fingerprint at the Yunyan district branch of the Guiyang public security bureau. [Photo/gog.cn]

According to residence permit regulations, all Taiwan residents living in the Chinese mainland for more than half a year can apply for the residence permit with a mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents and documents proving their address and employment or study. The residence permit will be issued in 20 workdays.

The residence permit lists personal information on the front and the issuing authority, period of validity, and mainland travel permit number on the back.

The residence permit gives Taiwan residents a right to employment, social insurance, a housing fund, and compulsory education in the Chinese mainland.

In addition, the residence permit allows Taiwan residents to enjoy public services related to employment, health, culture and sports, legal aid, and other legal services.

Lan shows his mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents (top) and residence permit for Taiwan residents (bottom).[Photo/gog.cn]

During his stay in Guizhou, Lan has established several companies in Guiyang, Kaili and Renhuai. He used to take trains and planes at least 10 times per month, and with the residence permit, he can now buy tickets online, saving him the trouble of waiting in line.

In addition to public transportation, the residence permit provides holders with nine other conveniences related to vehicle registration, driving license applications, qualification exam registration, and more.

The natural resources and developed transportation of Guizhou are attracting more and more Taiwan businessmen looking to invest. According to official data, 370 Taiwan companies had been established in Guizhou by the end of 2017, with a total investment of $2.1 billion.

The residence permit lists the issuing authority, period of validity, and mainland travel permit number on the back. [Photo/gog.cn]