BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland will soon resume tourism by Shanghai residents to Kinmen and Matsu, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Wednesday.

File Photo shows the scenery of Xiamen, a scenic city in southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

The resumption is intended to further normalize cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges and make exchanges across various fields a regular practice, respond to the strong expectations of Taiwan residents and the tourism industry, and enhance the well-being of people on both sides of the Strait, the ministry said.

The ministry added that preparatory work is progressing steadily and expressed hope that tourism sectors on both sides of the Strait will strengthen communication and coordination to provide high-quality services and products for mainland residents traveling to Kinmen and Matsu.