Perhaps you’ve bicycled along the coastal lanes of northeastern Taiwan. With the wind in your face under a bright blue sky, perhaps you prepared to feast on the season’s offerings in the next nearest seaport. 

But Chen Po-jui (陳柏叡), President of the Taiwan Yacht Association (台灣遊艇會), has other things on his mind as he expertly pilots his white yacht out of Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf. To his left is the breadth of calm and steady Tamsui River; to his right, the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean. In his mind he wonders, should he spend the evening night-fishing in Shen’ao Fishing Port (深澳漁港)? Or maybe head to Maoao Fishing Village (卯澳漁港) in Gongliao and stroll among the painted sea dikes and stone houses? 

Ships Congregate Around Northern Taiwan’s First Yacht-only Harbor

In recent years, sailing a yacht out into the ocean has become a popular leisure activity. And it’s not just for the wealthy on top of the social pyramid. Chen Po-jui has been involved in maritime recreation and the booming yacht industry for forty years. He has licenses in recognition of his professional yacht management skills from America’s International Marina Institute (IMI). He loves the waters and has devoted his life to the ocean.

Chen Po-jui, President of the Taiwan Yacht Association, is in love with the ocean.

“I hope more people can share the joy of piloting a yacht or sailboat and go explore the boundless ocean.” With the support of the New Taipei City Government, Chen worked closely with the Tamshui Fishermen's Association (新北市淡水區漁會) to invite French industry leader Poralu to come build a yacht harbor at Tamsui 2nd Fishing Port, colloquially known as Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf. The Poralu team took various factors into consideration—power supply, resistance to typhoons, disaster management, effect on ecology—and carefully built the first yacht-only harbor of northern Taiwan so yacht owners can enjoy safe, secure, and professional yacht-related services. 

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Chen’s dream does not end there. “Not only did we want a safe haven to attract yacht aficionados, we also wanted to design a membership system so more lovers of the ocean will come here to rent and learn to pilot yachts, so we can promote maritime recreational activities.” The success of Tamsui 2nd Fishing Port attracted invitations from all quarters. Chen has already started to help plan another yacht haven at Anping Harbor (安平港) in Tainan. 

In the gentle ocean breeze, Chen’s face lights up with excitement as he leans easily against a mast. He says, “I hope one day the mouth of Tamsui River will host a congregation of ships just like harbor cities around the world.”

Route 2 Taiwan Links Brilliant Pearls on Taiwan’s Northeastern Corner

“New Taipei City is nestled in the mountains and faces the sea. We have abundant maritime resources to develop our own special brand through fishing harbor transformation. At the same time, we can connect scenic spots with eco-friendly modes of transportation to create the unique Route 2 Taiwan.” New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi says this with a smile. Route 2 Taiwan may be the longest eco-friendly tourism route in Taiwan. Through rail, electric cars and motorcycles, bicycles and foot traffic, it connects the various scenic spots on the northern seashore like so many brilliant pearls. 

One example is Shen’ao Fishing Port, which was famous for its torch-lighted fisheries in the past. In recent years, it has been highlighted as an area with great potential for transformation. In the morning, there is the attractive “Shen’ao Fishing Season Festival” (深澳漁樂季活動) that combines recreational fishing with local fish products. In the evening, leisure activities include cycling on the Shen’ao railway (Shen’ao Rail Bike) and night-fishing. 

Huang Chih-ming (黃志明), Executive Secretary of the Ruifang District Fishermen's Association (瑞芳區漁會), says Shen’ao Fishing Port is rich in fishing culture and has the most recreational fishing boats and fresh fish products in the nation. It is also rich in tourist attractions, with special landscape such as Elephant Trunk Rock (象鼻岩) and The Nose (酋長岩). This year (2019), the Fishermen’s Association worked closely with the government’s Route 2 Taiwan program to fund the water dance performance in Shen’ao Fishing Port. It also pooled its tourism resources to introduce a special limited-time traveling program. All this was done to highlight the tourist attractions in Shen’ao and invite everyone to come discover Shen’ao during the summer holidays.   

Shen’ao Rail Bike offers a unique cycling experience on the Shen’ao railway

Huang Chih-ming, Executive Secretary of the Ruifang District Fishermen's Association, highly recommends the Sea & Sky Causeway (海天步道) in Shen’ao Fishing Port

Needless to say, there is more to do besides water sports along Route 2 Taiwan. The trail leads from seashore to tourist attractions in various mountain regions. For example, to go from Shen’ao to Ruifang, you need only take train and bus to reach scenic spots such as Houtong, Jinguashi, Jiufen, and the town of Pingxi which is famous for its sky lanterns. Besides bicycles and the Rail Bike, electric motorcycles were also introduced to Shen’ao to make traveling from sea to mountain more relaxing and convenient. 

There is also the annual Wanli Crab Season Festival (萬里蟹產季), which has successfully created its own local brand. It not only revitalized the local fishing villages, but also established the spectacular “Seafood Street”—a tourism-based business district with the famous crab harbors of Yehliu and Guihou Fishing Harbor (龜吼漁港) at its center. 

Also noteworthy is Maoao Fishing Village in Gongliao District near Cape Santiago (三貂角). In the past, this region was famous for the rich resources found in its natural reefs, shoals, coral reefs, coastal benches, and kelp forests. In recent years, in order to create an ocean-friendly environment, New Taipei City Government took stock of scenic spots in the area—such as the painted sea dikes, stone houses, the Maoao courier station, and the Maritime Resources Recovery Park (海洋資源復育園區)—and linked them together via a mobile guide service so visitors can easily explore the beauty of Maoao Fishing Village. 

Land-based group, silver medal winner: Beauty of the Fishing Harbor by Lin Chun-li (Shen’ao Fishing Port)

Another noteworthy item is the “Light Up 13 Layer Remains” Lighting Ceremony to be held in ShueiNanDong (水湳洞) during Mid-Autumn Festival, which will light up the entire Route 2 Taiwan. At the end of October, the surfing resort in Zhongjiao Bay in Jinshan (金山中角灣) will also be opened to the public and attract more lovers of mountain and sea to come visit. Says Mayor Hou: “We hope the beautiful local scenery, the delicious food, the culture and lifestyle will be seen and appreciated. We want this to become the pride of New Taipei citizens.”

Translated by Jack C.
Edited by Sharon Tseng
Content sponsored and photographs provided by New Taipei City Government