Taipei  - Nearly 2,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Taiwan on a cruise ship Monday, the first such arrival by sea in over half a century.

The Keelung Harbour in north Taiwan spread the red carpet and performed a dragon dance to welcome the 1,600 mainland tourists who arrived from Shanghai aboard the Legend of the Seas, owned by the Royal Caribbean International shipping line.

The tourists were all employees of Amway China. Amway plans to send 12,000 Chinese employees to Taiwan in nine groups on the ship.

During the three-day two-night tour, the tourists will visit scenic spots, night markets and go shopping. Their arrival is hoped to boost Taiwan's slow-growing inbound tourism.

Many members of the Amway tour group said they brought about 10,000 renminbi (about 15,000 US dollars) each to buy gifts for friends and family members.

Taiwan and China split at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. In July 2008, Taiwan launched weekend charter flights with China, to allow Chinese tour groups to visit the island and stimulate Taiwan's deteriorating economy.

Taiwan expanded the weekend charter flights to daily charter flights in December 2008, and plans to turn it into regular flights later this year.

Since July 2008, 100,000 Chinese tourists have visited Taiwan.

Two Taiwan companies and the Star Cruises, the largest cruise line in the Asia-Pacific, plan to launch regular China-Taiwan cruise service in the coming months. (dpa)