Yang Zhe'an from Taiwan obtains a mainland tour guide certificate in Pingtan.

Taiwan financier and Ph.D. holder, Yang Zhe'an, is the first to pass the national tour guide exam in a foreign language in Pingtan. Pingtan is the closest place on the mainland to the island of Taiwan and an exclusive pilot zone for cross-Straits integration.

Yang, from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, graduated with a Ph.D. from Xiamen University in 2013. He was engaged as a finance expert in Pingtan, bridging cross-Straits economic exchanges for the past decade. During his free time, the adventurous Yang loves taking his wife for mini excursions across the island.

Upon receiving his tour guide certificate, Yang beamed, "With this foreign language tour guide certificate, I can work as a tour guide and share the beauty and story of Pingtan Island with the world."

The Ph.D. holder is also well-versed in literature, history, and geography. Yang got his Taiwan tour guide license as early as 2003. "The exam mainly focused on history, geography, and literature. So, it's a plus point for me," Yang said.

Later, he worked as a tour guide and received travel groups from Malaysia and Thailand. From this, he gradually gained a deeper understanding of the tourism industry. "Many hold a misconception that the job involves a lot of travel. But it’s not as straightforward as it seems," Yang said.

During his days at Xiamen University, Yang also volunteered as a tour guide showing tourists around Xiamen Botanical Garden during his spare time. Many tourists spoke highly of him.

After coming to Pingtan in 2013, he devoted himself to the island's financial development. As a result, he had to give up tour work.

In 2015, Pingtan started streamlining Taiwan professional accreditations, opening up career opportunities to talents from Taiwan, including tour guides. "Taiwan tour guides can easily acquire a mainland guide license and put their expertise to practice on the mainland by providing a recommendation from travel agencies and tour guide associations of Taiwan and passing some supplementary exams in Pingtan," said Yang.

Yang Zhe'an from Taiwan takes his friends to visit the Northern Ecological Corridor of Pingtan.

"Dr. Yang, would you be free to help with a tour group this weekend? Many local agencies have extended their invitation to Yang, but he turned them down due to his busy schedule. Even so, passion was burning inside.

The 2022 National Tour Guide Qualification Exam gave Yang a nudge. "Many foreigners come to Pingtan for travel every year. Who knows when I might need this license? Let's take the exam first."

After passing the written test, Yang Zhe'an received a “lucky” question during the interview – “Gulangyu Island,” a topic he couldn't be more familiar with after years of living and studying at Xiamen University.

"Gulangyu is a beautiful island that attracts people not only for its beautiful natural scenery but also for the architecture of various ethnic groups on the island." With his personal experience, Yang incorporated his knowledge of Gulangyu Island into his English introduction and scored with flying colors.

Yang Zhe'an, who received his tour license, is ecstatic. He rummaged through his residence and dug out his accredited certificate, the new "trophy" and his old Taiwan tour guide certificate.

The certificates serve as a record of my time spent working, living, and studying on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. "I got both of them in Pingtan. Pingtan is indeed a land of blessings and opportunities."

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