March 31, 2022 — The removal of long-standing temporary barriers along the shoreline has finally revealed Budai Port’s newest building – the Budai Port Passenger Terminal. Reflecting comfortable, contemporary architectural aesthetics throughout, this impressive new structure is set to significantly enhance passenger services at Budai Port.
Passenger clearance
Port of Kaohsiung CEO Chin-jung Wang remarked that Budai is a key domestic offshore passenger port through which several hundred thousand passengers, both holiday travelers and residents, pass each year for the regular, comfortable ferry passage between Budai and Magong in the Penghu Archipelago. After long deliberation and planning, and with support from all quarters, the government approved a total budget allocation of NT$238 million to TIPC and the Maritime and Port Bureau to construct the new, state-of-the-art passenger terminal at Budai Port. This sleek, modern building is now finished after two years of construction. CEO Wang continued, saying that, during the soft opening period covering the busy Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday and Penghu International Fireworks Festival, TIPC will actively canvass the opinions of passengers and businesses to help guide the final tweaks to related soft and hard infrastructures. The official grand opening ceremony is scheduled for May 16th, when special guests from a cross-section of Taiwan society will be on hand to witness this new milestone in Budai Port’s expansion into blue water transportation and tourism.
CEO Wang further noted that Budai Port Passenger Terminal’s aesthetic design took its inspiration from the ocean, harbor, and boats. He hopes that its all-new design, innovative construction, and many thoughtful amenities will make Budai Port a modern hotspot destination for offshore island passenger-ferry tourism. The one-story building provides 5,050 meters of floorspace and accommodates up to 2,000 people at a time. In addition to ticket sales counters, passenger clearance facilities, and the ferry waiting area, the terminal has a family fun area and three retail zones. Restaurant operators and clothing and gift retailers are expected to begin setting up in the terminal during April.
Terminal Art Wall (“True Budai” – cochin pottery mosaic)
The Budai Port Passenger Terminal is notable for its fusion of local culture and artistic flair. Visitors walking into the waiting hall can’t help but appreciate the impressively large (1,277cm x 288cm) cochin pottery mosaic mural before them. This beautiful piece is a collaborative work executed by renowned artist Yu-an Chen and cochin ceramics master Tung-cheh Hsieh, both of whom are from Chiayi County. This important work of art is a nostalgic reflection on Budai’s prosperous past, incorporating such elements as a Budai sunset, Budai’s coastal oyster fields, and seawater salt fields into a mosaic masterpiece composed of shards of classic Taiwanese cochin pottery. TIPC will continue to work with Chiayi County’s local art and academic communities, with one section of the terminal to be regularly designated as an art exhibition space. From April 8th, this space will host a special 3-month exhibition of the paintings of the conceptually innovative, socially minded Budai artist Yu-ming Chuang. Later on, the space will be used by other well-known artists, teachers, and students to share their works with the traveling public. It is hoped that these and other artful elements will give pause to ferry passengers on their way in or out to appreciate Budai’s vibrantly aesthetic vibe.
As we move closer toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic period, passenger numbers on Budai – Penghu ferries are expected to increase. For updated information on ferry schedules and other important details, please visit: http://60.249.177.142/KHBS/BDWeb.aspx . TIPC, in partnership with the Maritime and Port Bureau, will continue to improve the soft and hard infrastructures at Budai Port Passenger Terminal to attract more tourists and stimulate further economic growth.
