Passengers check their tickets at Fuzhou Port's Langqi passenger terminal in Mawei district, Fuzhou, Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The passenger ship routes between Fuzhou, Fujian province, and Matsu, Taiwan, have been increased from the previous "two arrivals and two departures" daily schedule to a new "four arrivals and four departures" schedule, starting from Monday. On the inaugural day of the updated schedule, 229 passengers traveled on the routes.

Sources from the Fuzhou entry and exit frontier inspection station said that with increased ferry services, travelers can now make same-day round trips, providing significant convenience for family visits, tourism and other travel between the two areas.

A spokesperson from the Fuzhou Port Mawei Port Authority mentioned that the routes will experience a surge in passenger traffic over the upcoming Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday. Efforts have been made to improve the facilities at the passenger terminals, enhance customs clearance capabilities, and establish comprehensive services for travelers.

Fujian was designated as a demonstration zone for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council in September.

With the successive implementation of measures benefiting Taiwan, exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan have become more frequent.

Currently, Fujian has four cross-Strait ferry routes — one between Xiamen and Kinmen, another between Quanzhou and Kinmen, and two between Fuzhou and Matsu.