Taitung Fugang Port Passenger Terminal Begins Trial Operations, Offering More Comfortable Travel to Green Island and Orchid Island

(CNA, Taitung County, June 30) After more than 20 years of planning, advocacy, and promotion, Taitung County's "Fugang Port Transportation Vessel Passenger Terminal" began its trial operations today. The brand-new passenger terminal will significantly improve the waiting environment for travelers going to and from the offshore islands of Green Island and Orchid Island, and it also marks a new phase for Taitung's maritime transport services.

Taitung County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling, Deputy Magistrate Wang Chih-hui, Taitung Mayor Chen Ming-feng, and Taitung District Fishermen's Association Secretary-General Wu Po-cheng jointly attended a blessing ceremony this morning, witnessing an important milestone in the development of Taitung's maritime transport.

The Taitung County Government stated that Fugang Port is the main gateway from Taitung to Green Island and Orchid Island, handling a large volume of transportation for island residents and tourism demands annually. With the vigorous development of marine tourism and the continuous growth in passenger numbers, the County Government actively sought funding from the central government to promote the construction of the passenger terminal. The total project cost is NT$300 million, with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications subsidizing 76.5% and the County Government providing 23.5% in matching funds.

The construction of the Fugang Port Transportation Vessel Passenger Terminal project began on October 3, 2024 (R.O.C. calendar), was completed on June 19, 2026, and commenced trial operations today, providing passengers with a safer, more comfortable, and convenient waiting space.

Rao Ching-ling pointed out that the Fugang Port Passenger Terminal is a significant achievement of the County Government's continuous efforts to improve the quality of offshore island transportation services. Over the past 20 years, successive county government teams have persistently promoted this project, which has finally been successfully completed through the collaborative efforts of the central and local governments.

Rao Ching-ling added that the County Government will also successively promote the upgrade of offshore island transportation infrastructure. Currently, the improvement project for the Orchid Island Passenger Terminal has officially commenced, and the construction plan for the Green Island waiting room is expected to have its budget approved by the end of the year, gradually building a complete maritime transport service network connecting Taitung, Green Island, and Orchid Island, comprehensively enhancing the quality of offshore island transportation and tourism service capacity.

The Taitung County Government's Department of Agriculture explained that the new passenger terminal is planned with intelligence, sustainability, and safety as its core, while also meeting smart building and green building energy-saving indicators. The total indoor and outdoor capacity is 1,600 people, which can meet the needs of simultaneous boarding and alighting for approximately 4 passenger ferries, effectively improving the overall passenger transport service level of the port.

In terms of architectural design, the passenger terminal building integrates marine imagery, showcasing Taitung's marine characteristics and local landscape with a wave-shaped covered walkway and coral-inspired sunshade walls. It also incorporates a multilingual friendly signage system in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, providing a more convenient service environment for domestic and international travelers and enhancing the quality of international tourism reception.

Furthermore, to cope with the challenges of extreme weather, the passenger terminal is equipped with comprehensive seismic and typhoon-resistant facilities, including designs such as drainage ditches, waterproof gates, and wave-overtopping buffer zones, effectively enhancing the port's disaster resilience and public safety, ensuring the safety of passengers and facilities.

The County Government stated that Fugang Port serves multiple functions, including fishery production, offshore island transportation, and tourism services. After the trial operation of the passenger terminal, it will further enhance the diversified utilization benefits of the fishing port and the overall service quality.

The County Government said that in addition to the successful completion and trial operation of the passenger terminal, it will continue to seek central government support to promote the upgrading of port facilities and optimization of services, creating a safe, convenient, and friendly maritime transport environment, steadily advancing towards the goal of an international-class maritime gateway, and injecting new momentum into Taitung's marine economy, tourism development, and the transportation rights of island residents. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 1150630)