Budai Port, the commercial port on Taiwan nearest to the Penghu Archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, has been designated by the Executive Yuan for development as a hub for offshore island passenger and cargo as well as a regional center of tourism and recreation. After the lifting of national pandemic restrictions, Taiwanese have been traveling more than ever, with the 619,000 arrivals and departures recorded at Taiwan’s ports in 2023 breaking all-time records. To fully leverage the related opportunities and provide facilities tailored to the needs of inter-island passenger routes, Port of Kaohsiung has been progressively developing a dedicated passenger service district at its Budai Port subsidiary that will further fuel and support increasing passenger-ferry tourism between Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago.

Penghu’s popularity as a tourism destination is rising, with both ferry passenger numbers and cargo volumes showing steady growth over the past several years. Notably, Budai Port handles the largest percentage of the passengers and cargo transiting between Taiwan and the archipelago. Ferry operators on the Budai-Penghu route regularly retire and replace vessels to improve service capabilities and upgrade the experience for ferry passengers. For its part, Port of Kaohsiung has been systematically improving related infrastructures at Budai Port. After completing construction work on North Wharf #3 and its adjacent yard in mid-2023, the port actively sought private-sector investment to develop warehouse and logistics facilities. FarOcean Co., Ltd. is set to begin warehouse operations on the site by midyear this year (2024) and Brave Line Co., Ltd., Yu Fong Warehousing & Storage, and Long Yi Shipping Co. are expected to finish new warehouse construction later this year, with the four companies slated to invest a combined total of more than NT$100 million. 

The latter three firms are all well on their way to establishing active operations at Budai Port, with building permits already secured and work ongoing on facility designs and construction planning. When these facilities open for business during the second half of this year, the port’s passenger and cargo district will be formally reorganized, with East Wharf #2 redesignated from a cargo to a passenger wharf and East Wharf cement silo operations put up for commercial bid. These two new areas combined with the Budai Port Passenger Terminal will increase the size of Budai Port’s passenger service district five-fold (from 0.5 ha to 2.5 ha) and bring to a successful conclusion this long-term project to upgrade port passenger service facilities. It is hoped this new shoreline district will encourage firms to invest in new dining, hotel, and recreation establishments onsite to stimulate tourism and economic activity both at the port and in surrounding areas.

In the years ahead, it is hoped vacationers and others heading to Penghu will increasingly choose to travel aboard the luxurious, express ferries departing regularly from Budai Port. On the return trip, we encourage everyone to leave extra time in their schedule to explore the port’s new passenger service district at a leisurely pace, enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Taiwan Strait, and return home with heads and hearts bursting with happy memories.