Over 700 passengers ferried as new sea route opens between Pingtan, Taiwan

A direct sea route linking Pingtan off the east coast of Fujian province and Kaohsiung in southwestern Taiwan opened for its first trip on Thursday.

A ferry carrying 700 passengers to Kaohsiung took about 4.5 hours to cover 178 nautical miles, the Fujian Cross Straits Ferry Co said.

Now that the route has opened, irregular sailings will be carried out based on passenger numbers and the weather conditions. The ship sailing schedule will be released in time for the public to buy tickets, according to the company.