Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan left here at 1 p.m. Tuesday for Taiwan, after a 13-day visit to the mainland.

Lien arrived in Beijing on April 13 to attend the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum. He left Beijing on April 17 to visit Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces and Shanghai.

Lien delivered a short speech at the Shanghai Pudong Airport, saying that his third visit to the mainland during the past one year was "very successful".

Lien said he went to his ancestral home village for the first time in his life during this mainland visit and felt he finally found his roots.

"When I spoke to thousands of fellow villagers, I felt a deep affection between them and me, which made me once again firmly believe that cross-strait prosperity will be achieved through joint efforts of the people in the mainland and Taiwan."

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao and Lien Chan underscored peace and development across the Taiwan Strait when they met on April 16.

Lien Chan received warm congratulations from Hu Jintao for the success of the Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Forum which concluded on April 15.

Lien said the four suggestions put forward by Hu on the cross-strait peace and development are very farsighted.

To further demonstrate the sincerity of the mainland to boost the relations, 15 new beneficial policies were announced at the closing ceremony of the forum.

The policies allow more Taiwan fruits and aquatic products to be sold to the mainland, and the mainland will recognize university diplomas issued in Taiwan.

During his stay in the mainland, Lien Chan also visited the Great Wall in Beijing, worshipped ancestors at his hometown in Fujian and received honorary doctor's degree from Xiamen University.