Taipei’s Blue Highway Attracts Japanese Tourists with New Japanese-Guided Tours

▲ The “Blue Highway” has introduced a new Japanese-guided tour service. The image above shows a schematic of the Blue Highway river cruise (Photo credit: fromthe Blue Highway Micro-Travel Fan Page))

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Taipei’s Blue Highway has launched a new service to attract more visitors. Following the introduction of Chinese and English guided tours, Japanese-language guided tours have now been added to its micro-travel cruises, and a trial was held on the 29th for the “Dadaocheng Historic Sites River Cruise Experience,” which received an enthusiastic response.

The Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems stated that although there are many foreign tourists visiting Taiwan, most are still unaware of the alternative sightseeing experience offered by the “Blue Highway.” Previously, English-guided cruise trials were well-received by British and American visitors, so Japanese-speaking guides have been specially arranged to lead Japanese tourists first through the streets of Dadaocheng, exploring local historic sites, history, and culture, before boarding the boat to cruise the Blue Highway and enjoy the riverside scenery—helping Japanese visitors gain a deeper understanding of Taipei’s history and culture.

%jiaqie12/29) The Japanese-guided tour, first trialed on the “Dadaocheng Historic Sites River Cruise Experience” route, saw professional guides leading Japanese tourists through the historic alleys of Dadaocheng, explaining the history and culture (left image), before taking them on a boat ride along the Tamsui River (right image). (Photo credit: fromthe Blue Highway Micro-Travel Fan Page))

Japanese tourists who participated in the “Dadaocheng Historic Sites River Cruise Experience” yesterday expressed their delight, saying they had no idea such experiences were available in Taipei. Despite the cold weather, they enjoyed cruising along the river while admiring the Dadaocheng scenery and listening to the professional commentary from guides, making the combined land-and-water tour very fun.

However, Chen Rongming, director of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems, also noted that as the service is still in its early promotional stage, Japanese-guided tours are currently only available for groups of 20 or more, and must be booked at least one week in advance.