Marine transportation between Fujian province and Taiwan is becoming more popular, Fujian Daily reports on July 3.

There are currently nine flight routes and 61 flights every week between the two places, which add to the convenience of cross-Straits travels.

But more local people prefer the marine channel, which holds advantages in shorter distances, lower prices as well as more flexible trips.

Statistics show that Fujian, the closest province on the mainland to Taiwan, has opened five passenger ferry routes to Taiwan, three more for Three Direct Links, 14 fixed sea lanes for container ships, and another 25 nonscheduled ones for cargo ships. The passenger vessels dock at all four of Taiwan’s major ports, in Taipei, Taichuang, Kaohsiung and Keelung.

Three Direct Links refers to direct links in post, transportation and trade, which was opened in 2001 between Fujian and the islands of Jinmen and Matsu in Taiwan, in order to facilitate the increasing cross-Straits exchange.

Three Direct Links was expanded quickly in terms of the number of voyages and schedules, and has become the most economic and convenient seaway between Fujian and Taiwan.

Up to 18 passenger ferries, eight from the mainland and 10 from Taiwan, are operating on marine routes of Three Direct Links, with 46 voyages every day. It is the first choice of more than 1 million travelers annually.

Pingtan, which is closest to Taiwan, opened a new channel with the launch of a high-speed passenger ship to Taichung on Nov 30, 2011, which takes only 2.5 hours. Pingtan opened another ship route to Taipei on Oct 9, 2013.

Fujian will break more ground in order to further expand cross-Straits communications, including striving to pass rules to allow Taiwan vehicles on its roads, opening passenger ferry routes between Huangqi Island and Matsu, opening a new sea channel for cargo transportation between Pingtan and Taiwan, launching more cross-Straits passenger vessels and expanding cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan’s shipping industries, sources said.