Taiwan’s Kinmen begins trial operations of remodeled ferry terminal

台灣金門改建後的港旅運碼頭開始試營運

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kinmen County began trial operations Tuesday of its remodeled ferry terminal serving the “mini-three-links” — limited sea routes connecting Kinmen and Lienchiang County with China’s Fujian Province.

The county’s tourism department said the four-story steel-structure terminal has a floor area of about 35,947 square meters. At peak hours, it can handle up to 2,800 passengers per hour in both directions, with an annual capacity of up to 3.5 million passengers.

Arrivals are handled on the first floor, offices are located on the second floor, and departures operate from the third floor, the department said. The fourth floor houses a vessel traffic service center and a maritime emergency center to improve port management and safety.

“The remodeled ferry terminal marks a new milestone for cross-strait exchanges,” Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-hai (陳福海) said. Chen added that it also “allows for more positive and friendly development between the two sides,” CNA reported.

UDN reported that the first ferry from China's Xiamen arrived at the terminal at about 9 a.m. on Tuesday. A Chinese passenger surnamed Lin (林) said the new terminal was cleaner, more convenient and had a smoother passenger flow than the previous facility.

Another passenger, a Kinmen County resident surnamed Chen (陳) said the overall process was efficient but noted that only one X-ray machine was available for baggage checks. He added that while the new terminal looks modern, it lacks distinctive local features that reflect Kinmen’s character.

The mini-three-links refer to limited direct sea routes connecting Taiwan’s outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu with nearby ports in Fujian. The policy aims to reduce travel time and make trade easier for island residents by avoiding transfers via Taiwan proper, per the Mainland Affairs Council.

“Kinmen lies about 8 kilometers from China’s Xiamen and sits inside Xiamen Bay along China’s southeastern coast,” National Quemoy University's Ocean and Border Management Department said. Lienchiang County, on the other hand, is 9 kilometers from Fujian.