The Summer Sea Festival at Dongshi Fishing Port Kicks Off – 16 Days of Non-Stop Fun in Chiayi

▲ After the concert on the first day of the “Dongshi Fishing Port Summer Sea Festival,” a spectacular six-minute fireworks show capped off the evening perfectly. (Photo / Taken fromChiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan’s personal Facebook page)

Reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Comprehensive report

While the Gongliao Sea Festival in the north hasn’t ended yet, Chiayi’s “Dongshi Fishing Port Summer Sea Festival” kicked off with a bang on the 12th. On the evening of the 12th, after Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan, dressed as Lady Gaga, shot Cupid’s arrow into a giant LED heart symbolizing love and hope, she officially declared the start of the romantic 16-day Summer Sea Festival event.

Now in its 8th year, the “Dongshi Fishing Port Summer Sea Festival” attracted nearly 400,000 visitors to the fishing port last year, gradually becoming the largest coastal music festival in western Taiwan and ranking among Taiwan’s top three marine music events. This year, the Chiayi County Government has expanded the festival into a continuous 16-day summer sea celebration, themed around the Tropic of Cancer 23.5° Love Skyline. With exciting activities every day, the number of visitors is expected to exceed 500,000.

▲ On the first afternoon of the “Dongshi Fishing Port Summer Sea Festival,” over 10,000 people flocked to Dongshi Fishing Port. (Photo / Taken from Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan’s personal Facebook page)

This year’s Summer Sea Festival is themed “Marine Music Wonderland.” On six consecutive weekends, six large-scale concerts will be held, featuring well-known domestic idol singers such as Crowd Lu, Alien Huang, MP Magic Power, as well as more than 30 other popular independent bands from Taiwan and abroad. The site will also feature a children’s playground, with a variety of activities including new mechanical and large inflatable play equipment, a cute balloon-themed pavilion made from oyster shells, and a high-altitude music-themed fireworks show. It’s like a mini Disneyland play area, ensuring kids have a joyful summer vacation.

On the evening of the opening concert on the 12th, hosts Hsiao Hsian and popular singers Yu Sheng, Alien Huang (Xiao Gui), Show Lo, and Fish Leong, along with other artists, put on an electrifying performance. Two encore performances kept the energy high, and at 9:30 PM, the grand finale—a stunning six-minute fireworks and music show—brought the event to its climax, making Dongshi Fishing Port shine even brighter under the night sky.

During the Summer Sea Festival, local Chiayi food vendors gathered at the fishing port to offer regional delicacies. The nearby Changlang Corridor introduced creative seafood dishes such as oyster omelets, oyster buns, oyster fritters, oyster rice, and golden cuttlefish roe. Visitors can also take sightseeing fishing boats from the fishing port to explore “Taiwan’s lost territory”—the Outer Sandbar. During the cruise, vendors serve a rich “Dongshi-style seafood meal.” After returning to the fishing port in the afternoon to watch the sunset, guests can enjoy local snacks in the evening before heading to the concerts to rock out and experience an unforgettable marine music journey.

▲ %The evening concert at the fishing port attracted a large crowd (top photo); during the sea festival, Dongshi Fishing Port will also increase the frequency of sightseeing fishing boat trips, giving more people the chance to visit the “lost territory.” (Photo / Taken from Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan’s personal Facebook page; provided by Chiayi County Government)