The group was the seventh of Kinmen residents who have managed to make a direct voyage to Xiamen since the beginning of this year.

The 190-member delegation accompanied three icons from the Kinmen Tienhou Temple dedicated to Matsu, the Chinese goddess of the sea, on a pilgrimage to the Tienhou Temple in Meizhou, a small islet off Xiamen, the reports said.

The delegation, led by Chai Mei-yu, wife of Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Shui-tsai, traveled to Xiamen aboard a ferry for the six-day pilgrimage and sightseeing trip to Xiamen and other major cities in eastern Fujian Province, which lies opposite Taiwan.

Chai said the three icons were first taken to Kinmen from the Meizhou Tienhou Temple more than 300 years ago. "This will be their first pilgrimage to their home temple," she noted, adding that she is hopeful the visit can help usher in a new era of peace crossing the Taiwan Strait.

Kinmen County Council Speaker Chen Shui-mu, who accompanied the pilgrims on Monday's voyage, said more than 7,000 Kinmen residents are now on the waiting list of people wishing to make the direct crossing to Xiamen.

(Xinhua 03/20/2001)