Fireworks, drum beats and lion dances bid a colorful goodbye to two giant vessels that left Shanghai for Kaohsiung in Taiwan at 10:45 am yesterday, the first direct cross-Straits journey in almost 60 years.

Fifteen minutes after that, the Xin Yan Tai left Tianjin for Keelung. The China Shipping Group ship could have become the first vessel to set sail on the historic journey because it was scheduled to depart at 9:38 am but could not because of technical reasons.

"The first direct voyage across the Straits starts," declared Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng at Yangshan Deepwater Port.

Fireworks added color to Shanghai's blue sky, and lion and dragon dances weaved magic at the beat of gongs and drums to celebrate the historic occasion.

"The direct sea route will save cost and time on both sides of the Straits and increase their competitiveness," Ma Zehua, vice-president of China Shipping Group, said.

The 8,500-TEU Xin Fei Zhou, of China Shipping, and the 4,500-TEU Yuan He, of COSCO, were two of the 20 ships that set sail across the Straits. Fifteen of them departed from six mainland cities and five from two Taiwan ports.

The China Shipping and COSCO vessels will reach Kaohsiung on Wednesday because their sailing time will be shorter than before.

The 600 nautical mile Shanghai-Kaohsiung route is at least one-third shorter than the one ships used to transfer at Hong Kong or another third place, said Sun Jianping, director of Shanghai municipal transport and port authority.

Wu Shuxiong, of COSCO, said a company could save at least $20,000 per ship per trip because of the shorter route. "That means we can save at least $1 million a year."

In Tianjin, Huang Jianping, captain of Oceania, a COSCO ship that set sail to Kaohsiung yesterday afternoon, said a company would save about $7,500 and 16 hours per ship per trip. The Oceania will reach Kaohsiung on Wednesday, too.

COSCO President Li Shaode said that at least one cargo ship would set sail from Tianjin to Taiwan every week.