The 16-hundred mainland tourists will arrive in Keelong on Monday afternoon. A ceremony there will welcome the biggest-ever tour group of the Chinese mainland to Taiwan.

The group will then head to the most popular shopping centers in Taipei. Local retailers are prepared to seize this opportunity, and will offer souvenirs and discounts. Most retailers there have also been trained to speak standard Chinese so that they can communicate fluently with their mainland customers.

(CCTV March 17, 2009)