Qingming Festival: Traffic surges on 'mini three links' as Taiwan residents return to mainland for ancestor worship

Passenger traffic on China's "mini three links" ferry route has surged as the three-day Qingming Festival holiday gets underway, with growing numbers of Taiwan residents traveling across the strait to sweep tombs and honor their ancestors.

The ferry route connecting Huangqi in southeast China's Fujian Province and Baisha Harbor on Matsu Island has become a busy passage for cross-Strait family visits and ancestor-worshipping activities during the traditional tomb-sweeping holiday.

"Qingming tomb-sweeping is a shared tradition on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. No matter where we go, we must never forget our ancestors. We return to the mainland to pay our respects," a Taiwan resident surnamed Wei told China Media Group (CMG). 

Another Taiwan resident, surnamed Lin, who was on a trip with her son, told CMG that they came back to the mainland to visit their ancestors' graves. "I brought my son so he can know that our roots are here and that we should honor our ancestors," she noted.

The Huangqi-Matsu route takes about 25 minutes one way and has become a key channel for cross-Strait travel. 

The Fujian Maritime Safety Administration expects passenger numbers during the holiday to increase by more than 15 percent compared to last year.

The "mini three links" refers to direct trade, postal and transport services launched in 2001 between Fujian Province and Taiwan-administered Kinmen and Matsu islands.