Passenger trips on ferries shuttling between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan via the Xiamen-Kinmen route surpassed one million this year as of Friday -- setting a record for the fastest time to reach the milestone since the service began.
Data from the Gaoqi Border Inspection Station under the Xiamen Border Inspection General Station showed that the Xiamen-Kinmen "Mini Three Links", which provide direct ferry services between the two locations, reported a 25 percent increase in inbound and outbound passenger trips in 2026.
As a vital maritime gateway across the Taiwan Strait, the route is widely seen as a "golden passage" by travelers for its short sailing time, frequent departures, and swift customs clearance. Currently, it operates 24 scheduled return sailings per day.
"The Mini-Three Links are so convenient. I came straight over to Xiamen, spent three or four days here, and it was such a breeze. The smart clearance let me through with just a facial scan,” said Ting Chiu-lan, a traveler from Taiwan.
According to border inspection authorities, travelers from Taiwan accounted for over 800,000 of the total crossings, up more than 35 percent year on year and setting a new high for the same period on record. Among them, nearly 40,000 were first-time visitors to the mainland, a surge of more than 70 percent from last year.
Policy incentives continue to fuel a cross-Strait travel boom. Group trips among young people, and short family getaways have become the dominant travel patterns, pointing to an accelerating trend of regular, two-way exchanges.
"We're now handling a daily average of about 5,600 passenger trips. Ferries are basically running at full capacity during major holidays. Our pioneering data interchange system integrates passenger identity, travel documents, tickets, and vessel schedules, allowing multiple ferries to be processed simultaneously and passengers to go through checks upon arrival during peak hours. This has helped turn the route into a 'bus service' at sea," said Liu Xijie, an official of the Gaoqi Border Inspection Station.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the "Mini Three Links" -- direct two-way postal, trade and transport links between the mainland the Taiwan region.
The cross-Strait passenger ferry services operate along four routes -- Xiamen to Kinmen, Quanzhou to Kinmen, Mawei to Matsu, and Huangqi to Matsu.
Xiamen-Kinmen cross-Strait ferry route sees record passenger trips
