The pace of life in Beijing is different from what Wang was used to in Taiwan.

"The whole environment is fast in every aspect, even escalator speeds are a lot faster here," Wang said. "Lately, I have been interning at an internet company, which makes me feel that people are living every minute to the full."

The company is a startup that focuses on online and mobile third-party payments, such as WeChat payments and Alipay.

"It was not until recently, when Apple Pay was permitted and introduced in Taiwan, that people started to use these kinds of payments," Wang said. "If I didn't come to the mainland, I would never have had the chance to take a close look at these emerging industries. From this perspective, I think the mainland is much closer to the international community compared with Taiwan."

It is this sense of convenience and modernity that many students from Taiwan, like Hsieh Ning, would miss if they left.

"I would definitely miss Taobao, WeChat and Alipay," said Hsieh who has spent five years studying in Beijing. "But more important, I would miss the people. Taiwan is too small, and it might limit one's mindset. That's why my parents wanted me to go out and broaden my horizons."

Hsieh started at the School of Journalism at Renmin University of China in Beijing in 2011. She is now studying for a master's degree in new media at Peking University.

Now that Hsieh is used to life in Beijing, she says she has noticed misunderstandings back in Taiwan.

"Biased criticism and false information against the mainland circulate on the internet and among the media in Taiwan, which I think is horrible," she said.

Wang said most of the people in Taiwan who hold a negative view about the mainland have not visited it.

"So, I often tell these people that whether they like it or not, they should get to know the real mainland. I say, the huge opportunities and the space for personal development will definitely surprise you."

Echoing Wang, Chiu Shihching, a 22-year-old senior at Xiamen University in Fujian province, said the mainland is consistently trying to help Taiwan students, and sometimes changes happen very quickly.

"For example," she said. "We used to complain that people from Taiwan could not buy tickets from ticket machines because we use the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, not an ID. But now, the government has updated the travel permit and I don't need to go to the counter anymore, which saves a lot of time."

Contact the writer at wangxu@chinadaily.com.cn