Captain Peng Yuping usually spends Jan 24, Spring Festival Eve, with his crew in their dormitories at the port of Pingtan, a coastal county in Fuzhou, Fujian province. This was the ninth year the 54-year-old had been scheduled to work during chunyun, the Spring Festival travel rush, ferrying passengers between Pingtan and Taiwan.

With the exception of personnel on duty onboard the Haixia, the high-speed passenger ferry Peng captains, the crew gathered to enjoy a reunion dinner with colleagues, who regard each other as "family".

"The crew members ate in a canteen in our dormitory building. No matter what we eat, it's being together that really matters," Peng said.

This year, about 15,000 passengers were expected to make chunyun trips via the two direct maritime routes between Pingtan and the cities of Taichung and Taipei in Taiwan, according to Xu Zhengyun, head of passenger services at Fujian Straits Express Roll-On and Roll-Off Ship Transportation Co, which operates the Haixia.

Tourists from both sides of the Taiwan Straits boarded the ferry with large amounts of luggage during the travel rush, hoping to transport as many items as possible.

"The most common things in their luggage were pastries and sugars made in Taiwan, which are symbols of the festival. A piece of cake can evoke deep homesickness," Xu said.

To be fully prepared for the rush, the Haixia was equipped with first-aid kits and assisted facilities for disabled passengers. "When the car deck is wet and slippery, we put up a notice or ask the attendants to warn the passengers," Xu said.

Peng has captained the Haixia since the first direct shipping route between Pingtan and Taichung started operating in 2011.

As one of the first captains on the route, Peng has dedicated his career to serving tourists traveling across the Straits. "The happiest part of my job is carrying passengers from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland safely to their destinations," he said.

He works 10 to 12 hours a day, overseeing the safety of passengers, maintenance of the ferry and training for the sailors.

"The two captains of the Haixia swap shifts every eight months. We need to gain top-level certificates that mean we are qualified to take the wheel of a high-speed ferry," Peng said, adding that his monthly salary ($6,700) is higher than those of the other sailors.

While Peng concentrates on running the ship, Xu is occupied with passenger services

In June, when a group of 47 cyclists sailed from Taipai on the Haixia to take part in a race in Pingtan, Xu noticed that nine of them had disabilities.

"They had specially designed bikes, so instead of storing them on the car deck, like the other riders, I let them bring their bikes into the passenger cabin. It saved them a lot of energy when they disembarked, and led to a more comfortable journey," she said.

The riders were given priority status, which allowed them to leave the ferry via the stern gangway. "Every member of staff on the Haixia focuses on the passengers' needs and solves their problems before attending to their own comfort," Xu said.