The journey between Xiamen in Fujian Province and the Kinmen Islands, administered by China’s Taiwan region, now takes less than half an hour, thanks to the revitalized cross-Strait direct links. Initially opened in 2001 and known as the “Mini Direct Links,” the service precedes the overall commencement of cross-Strait direct links in 2008. To date, it has facilitated over 20 million passenger trips.
After a nearly three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operations resumed in January. Since then, the number of round-trip routes has increased from two per day to 20, accommodating more than 1.15 million passenger trips in total.
“For the Taiwan compatriots who frequently travel to the mainland for business, we offer a convenient registration service that is applicable across the mainland and takes only about two minutes,” said Chen Jinlai, deputy chief of Gaoqi Border Inspection Station under Xiamen Border Inspection Authorities.
“For first-time visitors, we have teams assisting with rapid customs clearance, and we also provide services in the Minnan, or Southern Fujian dialect,” he added.
