On the verdant island of Pingtan, in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian, hundreds of tourists gather at a seaside site which is the closest place in mainland China to Taiwan. Pingtan is 126 kilometres from Taiwan island -- too far for visitors to see the other side with the naked eye. Instead, they pose with sculptures representing the two shores and celebrating the nostalgia of the time when they were part of the same political system. "The arrival in power of a new Taiwanese leader obviously has great significance for relations with mainland China," student Li Shuaitao tells AFP of Taiwan's next president, Lai Ching-te. "Both sides need to start discussions on setting up new policies, to find out how they can exchange and cooperate." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES