Nostalgia under the pen of renowned Taiwan poet Yu Guangzhong might be a shallow strait, with him at one side and the mainland at the other.

Yet Kao Chin Su-mei, a 43-year-old Taiwan native and daughter of a mainland-born father, crossed the Taiwan Straits recently with not only a tribal dance, but also with the affection extended for the quake-orphaned mainland children during her current short visit.

Kao, who has just led a 102-member aboriginal Taiwan people performing tribal dance at the opening ceremony warm up, said yesterday that she would visit Beichuan, a city severely destructed by the May 12 earthquake today.

Kao, daughter of an aboriginal Taiwan mother, said she had a special feeling for quake

victims in part because the Sept 21 earthquake in 1999 struck the mainly aboriginal-populated regions in Taiwan.

"I will help 20 children of Qiang ethnic minority in Beichuan who were orphaned by the disaster and pay their tuitions until they graduate from universities," Kao said.

She made the remarks in a group interview in Beijing yesterday.

The 3-minute-40-second dance performance by the 102-member aboriginal performance group on the splendid night has brought the team, as well as Kao, into the media limelight.

Kao said she was deeply moved by the warm welcome from the mainland audiences.

"I almost could not help crying while seeing the audience in front of me cheering and applauding my team when I declared that I was from Taiwan," Kao said.

"We very much cherish this rare and significant opportunity to display our culture to the world," Kao said.

Kao said she planned to promote performances jointly participated by aboriginal groups from Taiwan and the mainland in the future.

(China Daily August 10, 2008)