For Peng Yuping, a veteran shipmaster of 20 years, nothing can make him happier than a simple, safe docking.

Peng took over the helm of the Haixia, a high-speed passenger ferry sailing between Pingtan on the Chinese mainland and Taichung in Taiwan, in May 2011 after beating scores of candidates.

The Haixia was then in the US, therefore Peng, along with a Canadian crew, had to sail to the US to drive it back to Pingtan.

On the way to the US, they confronted waves of 4 to 6 meters in waters around Japan, where a 9.0-magnitude earthquake just occurred. Fortunately the ship stayed safe due to the collaboration of Chinese and Canadians on board.

"There are too many unpredictable factors at sea. Thanks to that experience I have grown more confident in steering the ship," said Peng.

After getting back to Pingtan, Peng successfully started some trial voyages and most importantly, the Haixia's maiden voyage on Nov 30, 2011, when the Pingtan-Taichung route was officially opened.

"The Haixia bridged the Taiwan Straits. I am honored to drive it," said Peng. "I will build a better team to provide safer, more comfortable trips for passengers."

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai