The third Straits Forum opens at the Straits Conference Center of Xiamen, Fujian province in the morning of June 12, 2011. Jia Qinglin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Tseng Yung-chuan, vice-chairman of the Kuomintang, Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC, and Sun Chunlan, secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered speeches. [Photo/All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and China Intercontinental Press]

Thousands of Matsu worshippers from South Korea, Chinese Taiwan and Southeast Asia pray for happiness and health from Matsu at Queen Square of Matsu Temple of the Meizhou Island, Fujian province on April 25, 2011 (March 23, 2011 on the Chinese lunar calendar), the 1,051st birthday of Matsu. Matsu is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron deity of all Southern Chinese and East Asian persons. According to legend, Matsu was born on March 23, 960 on the Chinese lunar calendar on Meizhou Island, Fujian. [Photo/All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and China Intercontinental Press]