Liberty Times – July 16, 2013 8:44 a.m.

Tai Min Star offers direct chartered services to Xiamen in September

(Wun-Jyu Cai of Liberty Times/Tainan) Tai Min Star, a high-speed passenger and cargo ship with a capacity of nearly 1,000 people, was berthed at Anping Port last week. On September 12, the ship will be chartered by Yusheng Temple in Sialin, South District of Tainan and sail directly to Xiamen. The carrier will evaluate the feasibility of providing regular direct sea transport between Anping and Xiamen. If such market demands exist, the carrier will launch weekly cruises between Anping and Xiamen.

Yesterday Mayor Ching-Te Lai, Councilors Mei-Yan Lin and Kun-Fu Lu and other guests boarded Tai Min Star to experience a short cruise in the harbor. They all gave thumbs up to the cabin facilities and seats, praising their comfort.

President Zih-Yi Lin told the guests that the home port of Tai Min Star is in Keelung. The ship has a capacity of 986 people, and its cargo holds can transport approximately 250 small private vehicles or 700 tons of cargo. Provided that support is gained from the city government and the market demands show its feasibility, the carrier plans to launch regularly scheduled cruises between Anping and Xiamen.

Yusheng Temple has chartered the ship for a non-stop religious voyage to Xiamen. It takes about three hours to travel from Anping to Xiamen based on the speed of Tai Min Star. If regular cruises are offered in the future, the fare will be around $6,000, which is equivalent to the costs of using other transportation means to Xiamen, but much easier and faster for passengers in the great Tainan area.

Major Lai promised full support and assist from the city government for prcedding relevant administrative procedures. He also announced that Deputy Mayor Her-Jiun Sheu will lead a delegation to Quanzhou, Fujian on August 15 to discuss the sea route between Anping and Xiamen.

According to Lai, after launching the regular flights between Tainan and Hong Kong, the debut voyage of Tai Min Star will turn a new leaf of the development of Tainan. If the ship can sail regularly, it will greatly benefit the trade and economic development in Tainan.