Before Taiwan and the mainland came under divided rule, Taiwanese Opera troupes traveled frequently across the strait. Chen Ma-ling was one of the last to make the journey. The bustling commercial port of Xiamen, in particular, was the destination for many famous troupes from Taiwan in the 1920s and 30s.
回顧國共分治前歌仔戲的兩岸交流，陳瑪玲算是最後一輩，在二、三十年代，台灣諸多的歌仔戲名角都前往閩南大商埠廈門演出。