41 heavy motorcycles rode onto the high-speed ferry "Haixia" at Taipei Port on the 29th and set sail for Pingtan, Fujian, kicking off a six-day travel itinerary. This marks the first time a fleet of Taiwanese heavy motorcycles has taken a ferry to Fujian for a self-drive tour. The "Haixia" ferry also hopes to help warm up the "Taiwan vehicles entering Fujian" self-drive tourism initiative.
Motorcycles, sleek and eye-catching, arrived one after another at Taipei Port in the morning of the 29th, where they underwent customs inspections. Once the "Haixia" docked, the motorcycles entered the vessel’s lower cargo area one by one via the "tail ramp" that connects the dock and the ship. Staff assisted riders in securing each motorcycle to the deck’s "ground lashing points" to prevent shaking or tipping during the voyage.
The Fujian-Taiwan High-Speed Ferry Branch stated that Fujian has begun piloting a program allowing general travelers and businesspeople to apply for "Taiwan vehicles entering Fujian" to enter the province via self-drive tours. The current opening of the Taiwan vehicle entry procedure is limited to residents of Taiwan traveling to Fujian Province only; other provinces have not yet been opened. That means vehicles can only move within Fujian Province.
"Travelers will need to prepare the relevant vehicle documentation and personal driving credentials, then submit them to a customs broker to apply as general cargo exports. Once approved, it will take as little as seven working days to depart from either Taipei Port or Taichung Port on the 'Haixia,' arriving in Pingtan in about three hours," said Wang Yiyin, deputy general manager of the Taiwan branch of Fujian-Taiwan High-Speed Ferry. This program applies to all types of vehicles, including trucks, passenger cars, and large heavy motorcycles. Transport fees vary by vehicle type, ranging from 2,000 to 16,000 yuan round trip.