Nanfang'ao Fishing Port

A Working Fishing Harbor

The Nanfang'ao First Fishing Port is one of Taiwan's busiest fishing harbors, its narrow basin lined with hundreds of steel-hulled trawlers rafted several boats deep along the quay. Warehouses, ship chandlers, and seafood markets crowd the waterfront streets that curve around the water, a testament to a community whose economy has long depended on the Pacific fishing grounds just offshore.

Nantian Temple and Mazu Devotion

Overlooking the harbor stands Nantian Temple, an elaborate multi-tiered shrine built to honor Mazu, the sea goddess venerated across coastal Taiwan as the protector of sailors and fishermen. Its gilded rooftops and carved stone facade, crafted by artisans from Fujian, make it one of the most recognizable religious landmarks along this stretch of the northeast coast.

Su'ao Township's Coastal Setting

Nanfang'ao sits within Su'ao Township in Yilan County, tucked into a natural bay where forested hills drop steeply toward the water. The port's sheltered position has made it a strategic fishing base since the early twentieth century, and its layout of interlocking basins still reflects that original engineering.

A Living Waterfront

Small motorbikes and pedestrians move along the harborside road as crews tend their boats and mend nets between voyages. The camera's elevated vantage captures the full sweep of the fleet, the temple, and the surrounding hills in a single frame, offering a continuous window onto one of Taiwan's most storied fishing communities.