Nanliao Fishing Port

Nanliao Fishing Port

Nanliao Fishing Port is located in the northwest suburbs of Hsinchu City, not far from downtown Hsinchu, making it very convenient to reach; the port was completed and put into use in 1949. After expansion, it became one of the leading fishing ports in the Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli regions in terms of the number of fishing boats, tonnage, or catch volume. The old Nanliao Harbor and its surrounding settlements were among the early developed areas of Hsinchu City, witnessing the city’s historical development process and holding important historical and cultural value. Nanliao Fishing Port is also the endpoint of the return route for fishing boats traveling north and south, and in the past, it served as a distribution hub for fish cargo and fishing vessels from various locations, thus being listed among the Twelve Scenic Spots and celebrated as the “Sails Returning to Nanliao.” Though the number of fishing boats is not large today, during its heyday, the port once hosted light-fishing boats from all over the province that came to catch squid. At its peak, there were even more than 200 large bottom trawling fishing boats. In 1980 (the 69th year of the Republic of China), due to insurmountable issues such as silt buildup at the creek mouth, a new Hsinchu Fishing Port was constructed approximately 2 kilometers south of the Qiding River outlet. Since then, Nanliao Fishing Port has gradually been forgotten. Later, in 2000, driven by the needs of cultural landscape preservation and regional industrial development policies, and following an urban planning amendment, it was decided to preserve the old Nanliao Harbor. Along with the new harbor, a regeneration development plan for the dual harbors of Nanliao was initiated, turning Nanliao Fishing Port into an ideal leisure spot for the public on holidays and establishing it as a tourism landmark of Hsinchu.