Starting as early as next month, cruise-lovers will be able to hop on a vessel for a river cruise up the Keelung River in metropolitan Taipei, said a Taipei City government official yesterday.
"The Taiwan Yachting Safety Promotion Association (
According to Hsu, the Taiwan Yachting Safety Promotion Association won the bid early last month for the right to manage and operate river-cruise services on the Keelung from June to Dec. 31 this year.
"The city government did not spend a dime on this project, nor will it receive any revenue from the service."
Hsu added that the only role the bureau played was to sponsor the bid, help the winner obtain a permit for building wharves and to promulgate related regulations.
Until the early 1950s, the Keelung River was the most important waterway in the Taipei area, with many cargo-transportation centers. However, with the rise of highway transport and the accumulation of silt on the riverbed, the Keelung gradually lost its glamour and appeal. In the 1980s, relevant government agencies launched a long-term river clean-up project to restore the river.
"At the moment, we are preparing seven wharves for use in our service," Weng Wei-da (翁偉達), the association's spokesman, told the Taipei Times. "There is no start or end. Tourists can get on and enjoy the cruise from any one of these seven wharves."
According to Weng, the seven wharves will be located in Tataocheng near Taipei's Hsimenting shopping district, Kuantu, Hsiapahsien, Sanchiaotu, Yuanshan, the Children's Recreation Center and the Tachia Riverside Park.
Weng said that the entire cruise should take about an hour-and-a-half, with variously-sized vessels and yachts to serve the needs of tourists.
"We encourage all to come and enjoy a cruise while learning the city's history and appreciating its ecological beauty along the way," Hsu said.
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