Shimen Reservoir Blue Highway to relaunch, offering new low-carbon tourism

The "Shimen Reservoir Blue Highway" tourist route is scheduled to relaunch in the second half of the year, aiming to connect scenic spots and offer a new low-carbon tourism experience in Taiwan.

The XinxiKou Suspension Bridge in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, which was closed for a year for renovations, recently reopened for trial operations and offers free admission until June 30. Fuxing District Chief Su Zuo-hsi suggests that the city government should relaunch the "Shimen Reservoir Blue Highway" itinerary to boost tourism. This would allow visitors to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery via sightseeing yachts, connecting popular mountain attractions by water.

In response, the Taoyuan City Government's Tourism and Transportation Bureau stated that they plan to integrate "Taiwan Tourist Shuttle" bus routes with lake tour boat tickets in the latter half of the year. This initiative aims to create a new tourism model for Taoyuan that combines water-based sightseeing with low-carbon transportation. However, local operators have voiced complaints about previous tourism initiatives in the Dalongmen area (Daxi, Longtan, Shimen Reservoir tourism corridor). Chen Mi-chun, Secretary-General of the Taoyuan City Ferry and Yacht Commercial Association, lamented that these past events lacked proper support and practical implementation. Issues such as the absence of direct bus routes, the prolonged closure of the XinxiKou Suspension Bridge, and the lack of dining options within the Shimen Reservoir park have impacted the yacht tour business.

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The "Shimen Reservoir Blue Highway" itinerary should be relaunched to increase visitor numbers to Fuxing District by providing a water route option.

Visitor numbers for the lake tours have dropped from over 7,000-8,000 per month to less than 5,000. Currently, bookings for group tours at the dam and Amuping docks are zero, causing significant hardship for the 32 yacht owners. Su Zuo-hsi noted that the recent reopening of the XinxiKou Suspension Bridge has attracted over 2,000 visitors on weekend days. He believes that relaunching the Blue Highway would provide an alternative water route for tourists, potentially increasing visitor numbers to Fuxing District. He mentioned that the Northern Region Water Resources Branch is supportive, and details will be discussed further once reservoir water levels stabilize in July or August.

The Tourism and Transportation Bureau confirmed that they had previously promoted the Shimen Reservoir Blue Highway itinerary in 2018 when the XinxiKou Suspension Bridge opened. The route allowed passengers to take boats from the dam or Amuping docks, enjoy views of Longzhuan Bay and Amuping Ecological Park, visit Jiangmu Island, and reach the suspension bridge. The entire tour lasted about two to three hours, offering a scenic alternative to driving on congested roads. The bureau plans to combine this with "Taiwan Tourist Shuttle" tickets for the Dalongmen/Xiaowulai lines to create an innovative travel experience that integrates water tourism and low-carbon transport, connecting key attractions like Amuping dock, the dam dock, and the XinxiKou Suspension Bridge.

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We plan to integrate "Taiwan Tourist Shuttle" bus routes with lake tour boat tickets to create a new low-carbon tourism model for Taoyuan that combines water-based sightseeing with low-carbon transportation.