A cruise liner with 1,000 South Sea Guanyin statues onboard has left Zhoushan City in eastern province of Zhejiang, bound for Jilong port in Taiwan.

Guanyin is the Goddess of mercy in Buddhism from Mount Putuo. A ceremony was held Monday morning as 100 monks boarded the ship carrying the gold-plated copper statues. Many Taiwan residents have been paying religious homage to Mount Putuo since 1989. More than 1,000 mainland residents also took part in the setting sail celebrations. This marks the first exchange of Guanyin culture between the mainland and Taiwan.