The Xiamen Branch of the China Ocean Shipping Group (COSCO）'s Shipping Ferry Company decided to advance its cross-Strait ferry services to facilitate the home-bound Taiwan compatriots for the upcoming Spring Festival, the most important holiday in China for family reunion.
The COSCO is China's largest shipping company by fleet size, and the COSCO Xiamen operates passenger ferry services from Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province to Taichung and Keelung of Taiwan. It decided to advance its passenger liner COSCO Star's ferry services by one day after the local authorities of Taiwan canceled 176 planned extra cross-Strait flights for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. The cancellation is estimated to affect more than 50,000 Taiwan compatriots who are to return home for the festival family reunion.
COSCO Star has operated two weekly ferry services to Taichung every Tuesday and Keelung every Thursday. A single trip on the sail routes usually takes one night. To help the affected Taiwan compatriots to return home for the festival, the passenger liner will advance its last ferry services to Taichung and Keelung before the festival one day ahead of their usual schedules, on February 12 and on February 14 respectively. This will guarantee that those Taiwan passengers could get home before the noon of the Lunar New Year's eve which falls on February 15.
"Now we have a total of 640 berths aboard, while our approved capacity is 683. We will add bunks at any time according to the booking. During the Spring Festival travel rush, we'd also add attendants and reinforce the staff for security issues," said Shi Mingli, manager of the passenger transport department with the Xiamen Mintai Ferry Corp.
The COSCO Xiamen's move has warmed the hearts of many Taiwan compatriots who were bogged down in the plight caused by the flights cancellation.
"Home return is something fundamental for a Chinese. But I can't understand why the Taiwan authorities made it so hard for us to go back home this year. Fortunately, our mainland friends have always taken care of us, and kept us informed. Now that we have a new liner and approach that facilitates our home-bound trips, we are rushing to book the tickets to realize our homecoming dream," said Ma Ke, a Taiwan compatriot.
According to sources, COSCO Star will also operate two extra round trips between Xiamen and Keelung after the Lantern Festival, from March 5 to 8, to facilitate the mainland-bound Taiwan compatriots.
Sources:cctvplus
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