The Shanxi and Taiwan cultural exchange fair is being held in Taiyuan, the capital city of Northern China's Shanxi province from July 6 to 15 as part of a larger series of cultural exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan.

The nightscape of Taiyuan city, in northern China’s Shanxi province.[Photo/shanxigov.cn]

Ninety-eight Taiwan guests from the cultural, educational and artistic communities, along with the press, flied across the Taiwan Straits to take part in the largest cultural exchange activity ever held in Shanxi province, which is jointly hosted by the China Friendship Association of Cultural Circles and the Shanxi government.

As a key cultural project in 2014, the activity includes the following sections: a seminar on Shanxi's cultural development, a seminar on cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan, and cross-Straits communications between calligraphers.

In addition, Shanxi province invites Taiwan guests to visit Guan Yu's hometown in the southwest of the province. Guan Yu was a renowned general who served warlord Liu Bei in the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As one of China's most well-known historical figures, Guan is respected nationwide for his righteousness, and his life story was popularized by the popular novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

Guests also visited many other sites of cultural heritage, such as Guanque Tower, the Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River, Pingyao ancient city, the Yungang Grottoes and Wutai Mountain.

The cultural exchange series started in 2001, and this year the program celebrates its 11th anniversary. The activity has covered Anhui, Yunnan, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi and Hebei provinces.