sizihwan bay

Taiwan Tourist Town Threatens to Block Roads to Keep Mainlanders Out

Ironically, government warns tourist industry could suffer

Upset with a flood of mainland tourists and unsatisfied with the local government response, residents of a Taiwanese tourist town are threatening to take matters into their own hands and block mainland tourists from entering.

Sizihwan Bay, a popular tourist attraction featuring long sandy beaches located in the south-western corner of Taiwan, has been severely impacted by traffic congestion and the 4,000 mainland visitors it receives on a daily basis.

sizihwan bay

Residents are not satisfied with the local government’s response to simply limit tour buses and provide better public transportation, and have threatened to block streets to keep mainlanders out.

In an effort to ease cross-strait relations, the Taiwanese government has allowed free-roaming individual permits to residents of a growing number of mainland cities. On Wednesday, Taipei granted this privilege to another 11 mainland cities, bringing the total to 47.

More than 1.18 million mainlanders visited Taiwan on individual permits in 2014, the most since June 2011 when the policy was first introduced, and twice the total of mainland tourists in 2013.

The Kaoshiung government is warning Sizihwan Bay residents that local tourism may suffer if they block roads, although that seems to be what they are seeking.

Charles Liu

The Nanfang's Senior Editor