First high-speed ship to Taiwan sails out of Pingtan

By Tan Zongyang and Hu Meidong | China Daily | Updated: 2011-12-01 08:14

First high-speed ship to Taiwan sails out of Pingtan

Haixia leaves Pingtan county in Fujian province for Taiwan's Taichung on Wednesday. It is the newest high-speed liner connecting the mainland and Taiwan. Wei Peiquan / Xinhua

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -After an ear-splitting sound of firecrackers shattered the early silence at Pingtan Island in East China's Fujian province on Wednesday, the ship, Haixia, sailed out of the newly-built Aoqian wharf on its maiden voyage to Taiwan at 10 am, which marked the opening of a new sea route across the Taiwan Straits.