Taiwan pilgrims eager to travel to China for worship will be allowed to take foreign-registered chartered ships across the Taiwan Strait, sources from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
Since existing Taiwan laws governing cross-strait relations prohibit direct shipping links, the foreign-registered ships will have to travel to China via a third country or area, said Wu Jung-quey (
For instance, Wu said, the ships can leave from Kaohsiung to go to Fujian province via Hong Kong, or they can also depart from Keelung and sail via Ishigaki Island in Japan.
These options do not violate existing regulations on shipping links with China and it will allow pilgrims to travel to China by sea without resorting to illegal passage on fishing boats, which is the usual method of travel, Wu said.
People wishing to travel to China for worship can apply to either the Kaohsiung or Keelung harbor authorities for permission, and will have to inform officials of the exact route of the voyage and the number of people aboard the chartered ship, Wu said.
More than 100,000 Taiwan residents visit Fujian province's Meizhou island each year to pay tribute to Matsu, the goddess of the sea, at a century-old temple, according to the government.
The peak season for such pilgrimages is from March 3 to Sept. 9 on the lunar calendar.
March 3 is the anniversary of Matsu's birth, while Sept. 9 marks the anniversary of her deification.
Since Taiwan bans direct cross-strait transportation, local pilgrims have to either travel illegally on fishing boats or spend nearly a day flying to Meizhou via either Hong Kong or Macao.
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