Yantai, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, launches ferry services to Dalian and Lyushun in Liaoning. [Photo/Shm News]

Yantai, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, launched ferry services to Dalian and Lyushun in Liaoning, offering convenient services to passengers during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, which started on Jan 7 this year.

According to authorities, the ferry trip between Yantai and Dalian will enter its peak season in the following days, and a total of 20 passenger ferries are expected to be put into operation during the Spring Festival travel rush. The Yantai to Dalian ferry trip is called the "highway on the sea" that connects cities and regions on the east coast of the country. It handles about 2.5 million travelers, 1 million vehicles and 30 million metric tons of goods annually.

Before the start of the Spring Festival travel rush, staff members have disinfected the ferries to provide passengers with a clean and safe environment.