The number of passengers traveling between Kinmen County and China via the “small three links” is expected to reach 2 million this year, up 10 percent annually, Kinmen County Commissioner Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯) has said.
The total number of people traveling via the links since their launch in 2001 reached 10 million in 2013, Kinmen County Tourism Department data showed.
The department expects the number to reach 2 million during the Dragon Boat Festival from Friday to Sunday, which would be a remarkable milestone for the county’s tourism industry, Yang said.
Yang said that he hopes the number would reach 30 million before his term ends in 2022.
He pledged to further improve the quality of tourism in the county, but said that it takes time to optimize harbor facilities and infrastructure.
Since Jan. 1, 2001, Taiwan and China have had direct trade, postal and transportation links, commonly known as the small three links, between Kinmen and Matsu, and Xiamen, Quanzhou and Fuzhou in China’s Fujian Province.
Taiwan and China established direct flights and shipping links in 2008.
In related news, in an effort to boost local tourism, the Kinmen County Government distributed gift bags to all passengers traveling on a randomly selected ferry every day from Monday to Saturday last week.
Chinese Cai Wenting (蔡雯婷) walked away with the biggest prize — 20 small three links tickets and a bottle of kaoliang liquor.
Cai, who was traveling to Kinmen for a day trip with two friends, said that the prize was completely unexpected.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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