A ferry carrying tourists between the two banks of the Songhua River is ready to leave on April 21. [Photo/dbw.cn]

Ferry services across the Songhua River in the downtown area of Harbin began operating at 9:58 am on April 21, several days earlier than previous years.

The opening of the ferry services marked the beginning of the city's 2021 ferry season.

A total of four ferries affiliated to Harbin-based Shunhang Jiangshang Tourist Passenger Transport Co are serving three lines.

There is a ferry line linking Shunhang port to Sanlian port, and another connecting Shunhang port to Harbin's tourism landmark Sun Island.

Meanwhile, a special sightseeing ferry line has also opened to serve tourists interested in admiring the city's river scenery and skyline. The tourism ferry runs between Shunhang port and Laotou Bay.

The ferries run from 8 am to 5 pm every day and the travel time for the commuter ferry routes is no longer than 30 minutes.

Currently, a single-journey commuter ticket is 2 yuan and can be paid by bus card. The ticket price for the tourism ferry is 10 yuan per person.

Moving forward, the Harbin Taiping maritime department will use on-site supervision, cruise inspection, electronic monitoring, system verification and other methods to implement all-round supervision. The goal is to ensure the safety and standard navigation of passenger ships and the safety of ferry operations.