Xiamen-Kinmen route transports 20 million passengers
A ferry from Kinmen arrived at Xiamen's Wutong passenger terminal on July 4, marking the 20 millionth passenger to use the Xiamen-Kinmen route since it opened on Jan 2, 2001.
Over the past 23 years, customs officials at Xiamen Port have provided efficient clearance for passengers. After resuming operations this January, the route has transported over 200,000 people and inspected more than 1,300 ferries. Passenger volume increased from 3,400 in January to over 70,000 in June, nearly 20 times higher.
The terminal has undergone numerous upgrades, shifting in 2008 to an advanced cruise center and being fully integrated into Wutong Passenger Terminal in 2014. The 350,000 passenger capacity expansion opened in 2019.
The number of ferry departures has increased from operating on an irregular schedule to four per week in 2003, eight a day in 2004, and up to 36 on a daily basis in 2010, at half-hour intervals. Currently, 10 ferries operate with over 3,000 seats.
An aerial view of Wutong passenger terminal. [Photo/WeChat account: xiamen_swj]
Why Xiamen
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Xiamen is one of the most economically competitive cities in China and was one of the first Special Economic Zones on the Chinese mainland. As a vice-provincial city independently listed on the State development plan, it has provincial-level authority in economic administration and local legislative power. In 2010, the Xiamen SEZ was expanded to cover the entire municipality. Today, Xiamen is a modern and international port city.