Kinmen high school kids sail across Taiwan Strait

A total of 325 teachers and students from two junior high schools on Kinmen sailed across the Taiwan Strait to Xiamen yesterday on a three-day graduation trip.

It was the first time that junior high school students from Kinmen had embarked on such a trip, facilitated by the government opening the "small three links" in January 2001, said Chinhu Junior High School principal Wang Shih-tsung (王世宗).

Wang the opening of the "three small links," referring to direct trade, postal and shipping links between the frontline islands of Kinmen and Matsu and the cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou has aroused considerable interest among young people in Kinmen.

After some students suggested that they be allowed to make the journey to Xiamen for their graduation tour, the school conducted a poll of students scheduled to graduate in June next year and found that a majority were interested in the idea, Wang said.