Chen Laichen, 95, became the first Taiwan man to receive a residency permit in the Pingtan comprehensive zone on September 5.

Chen was born in Pingtan in 1918. He travelled to Taiwan in 1948 to explore new career options but couldn't return to the Chinese mainland until 1987 due to the rift between the mainland and Taiwan officials, said the Pingtan Times.

After getting back to Pingtan in 1987, Chen married Ding Jinsong, a local woman, and decided to stay. But he failed to apply for a residency permit from local government departments in the past 25 years.

With the help of local police in April, who confirmed Chen's identity as a Taiwan compatriot and reported the situation to higher authorities, the provincial police bureau specially issued a residency permit for Chen. That means he can stay in Pingtan forever without further trouble.

"Now I am officially settled down in my hometown," said Chen. "It is a bliss that Pingtan is so close to Taiwan. Hopefully I can take my wife there in the future by the Haixia (a ferry sailing between Pingtan and Taichung in Taiwan)."

Edited by Fubo and Michael Thai