Ferry services between Quanzhou, Fujian province, and the island of Kinmen, which is administered by Taiwan, resumed on Friday after being suspended for nearly three years due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

A ferry departed Quanzhou for Kinmen on Friday morning, and a ferry from Kinmen arrived in Quanzhou at noon. There will be two round-trips per week between the city and the island.

The routes are an important means for people to travel between the coastal areas of Fujian and Kinmen. Since its opening in 2000s, more than 29,000 trips have been operated, with 1.39 million passengers, 50 percent of whom are from Taiwan.

In January, ferry services between Xiamen and Fuzhou in Fujian and the islands of Kinmen and Matsu also resumed services after a three-year suspension, also due to COVID-19.