Fujian is the closest to the island of Taiwan and benefits from Taiwanese investments. Direct shipping began in 1997 has spurred additional investments. Fujian has contradiction of isolation and connections with the outside world. As late as 1960s entire villages were unaware of the Qing Dynasty fall in 1911. In 1980, Xiamen, where we worked and lived in 1994-5, was made a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to further encourage Taiwan investments. Over 80% of Taiwanese trace their ancestry to Fujian. Fujian is the nation's largest producer of tea, second in the production of citrus and seawater aquatic products, and third in bananas. Fujian is an important producer of electronics, jewelry, garments, cameras, tires, canned foods, and household ceramics.