Lei Chien, a member of the National Women's League in Taiwan, said: "Many of my friends who have been to the Chinese mainland told me that compared with the 1990s, immense changes have taken place there, not only in the first- and second-tier cities, but also in small cities and even rural areas."

Lei, who is a former member of the "legislative authority" on the island, was among the delegation led by former Kuomintang chairman Lian Chan's ice-breaking trip to the mainland in 2005.

Recalling the trip, she said Lian Chan was deeply impressed by the development and prosperity of Shanghai, and he said it was only after seeing the city's progress with his own eyes that he believed other people's praise of the city.

"More people, especially young people, should visit the Chinese mainland to witness its progress," said Lei.