XIAMEN -- Passenger shipping service between Chinese mainland's Xiamen city and Kinmen in Taiwan added a night cruise starting Sunday.

Last ships commuting the two cities left ports at 7 p.m. Sunday, marking a two-hour extension of the daily passenger transport on the popular route.

The extension of shipping hours on what is the shortest link between the mainland and Taiwan will boost the cross-strait trade and facilitate tourist trips between the two sides, as many believe that the new timetable will allow them to stay longer at Xiamen or Kinmen.

Security efforts, such as night patrols, would be strengthened as the new timetable came into force, according to the marine authorities in Xiamen.

The Xiamen-Jinmen shipping route was opened in 2001 and has since transported 7.78 million passengers.