Writer Li Ao prays for peace at Taiwan Pavilion, Yu Ran reports.

Controversial Taiwan writer Li Ao found time to pray for cross-Straits peace at the Taiwan Pavilion recently as he returned to the mainland for only the second time in his life to visit the Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Li was born in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province and a city that has become famous for its towering ice sculptures. He subsequently made a name for himself as a proponent of reunification after his family relocated to Taiwan.

Considered a hero by many mainland writers, he is a strong advocate of the reforms mapped out by China's late leader Deng Xiaoping.

The 75-year-old, who was accompanied by his wife, son and daughter, used the visit to plug his latest book, The Complete Works of Li Ao (Revised).

He said he was happy to see how far the city and the mainland had developed since his last trip, with the government adopting more open policies.

"I feel so fortunate to have the full version of my life's work, or 40 books, officially published in the mainland," said the esteemed scholar and essayist, whose historical novel The Fayuan Temple of Beijing was short-listed for the Nobel Prize for Literature. "The revised version includes about 100 articles, or about 1 million words, that were deleted in previous versions."

The Li family visited the provincial pavilions of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Heilongjiang on the first day. They then moved on to the Taiwan Pavilion, where they sampled traditional spring tea, watched some classical performances and prayed for peace.

"As I have been a resident of Taiwan for over 60 years, I have to say that I love Taiwan, and that it is a part of China," said Li.

He described the China Pavilion as the highlight of his trip to the Expo Garden.

"I was amazed by the animated version of the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival, which depicts a scene from the prosperous old city of Bianjing, now known as Kaifeng in Henan province," said Li, who was sporting his trademark Fred Rogers-style cardigan.

"We were also greatly impressed by the diverse exhibits inside the Italy Pavilion, with its classical paintings and workshops showing tailors making luxurious shoes," he said. "Not to mention the flamenco dancing performances inside the Spain Pavilion and its giant baby, Migueln."

He described his trip as a "perfect family reunion", adding that it "feels great to be home".

(China Daily 09/03/2010)