On this day, 37 years ago, on November 21, 1988 (October 13, 1988 lunar calendar), the first mainland citizen went to Taiwan for a funeral. The Taiwan authorities opened a door for mainland compatriots to visit Taiwan for medical and funeral visits, opening a gap for the short-term reunion of relatives on both sides of the strait. On November 21, 1988, Shanghai citizen Xu Songlin left Shanghai for Taiwan with the No. 1 "Taiwan Travel Permit" issued by Taiwan's "Entry and Exit Administration" to mourn his father. Xu Songlin, 58, was a retired employee of the Shanghai Copper Factory. After parting ways with his father in 1950, he was separated from each other and had no chance to see each other. In September 1988, his father died of a sudden illness in Keelung. Xu Songlin and his relatives in Taiwan made various attempts to be allowed to go to Taiwan for a funeral, but their wishes were never fulfilled. Not long ago, after the Taiwan authorities allowed mainland compatriots to visit Taiwan for medical and funeral visits, Xu Songlin's relatives in Taiwan obtained the No. 1 "Taiwan Travel Permit" for him. The relevant authorities in Shanghai completed the formalities for Xu Songlin within one day, enabling him to go as soon as possible and fulfill his wish.