In eastern China's Fujian province, the city of Quanzhou is launching a forum to focus on the shared cultural heritage of residents from both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

An opening ceremony was attended by more than three hundred representatives from major clans on both sides of the Straits. The forum's highlight is an exhibit of ancient genealogical records, with more than 600 volumes of family history on display.

Most of the records date back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when large numbers of Fujian residents living along the coast crossed the Straits to settle on the island of Taiwan.

The records will be on display for a month, after which all the materials will be digitized to build an invaluable genealogical database.