Taiwan launches first cruise service with China

Taipei, June 28 : A Taiwan company launched a cruise service with China Sunday, making it the first such cross-strait service in 60 years. With a band playing and dragon dance performing on shore, the 2,292-tonne Ocean Lala set sail from the Taichung Harbour for Xiamen, China, carrying 179 passengers and 23 crew. The voyage across the Taiwan Strait takes only four-and-a-half-hours, but it took Taiwan and China 60 years to ease tension and for Taipei to agree to lift the ban on sea links with the mainland. The Excalibur International Marine Corp, operator of the cruise service, said that in the initial stage, the Taichung-Xianmen cruise is an irregular service chartered by travel agencies. 'Eventually it will become a regular cruise service going not only to Xiamen, but also to other Chinese ports like Fuzhou and Shanghai,'... [read full story]                    

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