Hualien Liyu Lake Swan Boats Resume Operations; Operators Hope for Cancellation of Water Zone Division

(CNA, reporter Chang Chi, Hualien County, June 30) Swan boats and other floating devices at Hualien's Liyu Lake Scenic Area have resumed operations. Operators believe the division of the water area into non-powered and powered zones is too restrictive. The management office stated that they will conduct a rolling review once all operations have resumed to ensure a safe and comfortable tourist experience.

An accident involving a pedal boat capsizing during the Lunar New Year period this year at Hualien's Liyu Lake Scenic Area resulted in the drowning of a 9-year-old boy. Following the incident, all recreational vessels were suspended. After consultations among the Ruisui-Liyu Lake National Scenic Area Administration of the Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Maritime and Port Bureau, and the Hualien County Government, safety inspection procedures for vessels were initiated.

The Hualien County Government commissioned the Kaohsiung Shipbuilding Engineers Association to inspect pedal boats, swan boats, and other floating devices. Of the 250 vessels, 105 have passed inspection and comply with the requirements of the management office regarding insurance and the verification of lifeguard certifications. Operations have now resumed.

Mr. Li, an operator of pedal boats, said that his family relies entirely on operating water activities for their livelihood. During the suspension period, they lost hundreds of thousands of New Taiwan Dollars and could only persevere. They did their best to cooperate with the government's boat inspection process and finally welcomed the resumption of operations, hoping that summer activities will bring in tourist crowds.

Lin Ying-yu, chairman of the Liyu Lake Business Circle, stated that the boats have completed third-party inspections, and operators will pay closer attention to boat safety, not allowing any further accidents. However, he hopes the water zone division management can be canceled. Liyu Lake is only 108 hectares, a limited area, and the activity space becomes even smaller after the division.

The management office explained that the northern part of the lake is currently a non-powered zone, serving as the activity space for floating facilities, while the southern part is designated for powered small boats (passenger boats). They have indeed received feedback from operators about the limited space and will conduct a rolling review in the future based on operational conditions.

The Hualien County Government's Tourism Department held a swan boat "new voyage" ceremony at Liyu Lake today, inviting Ahn Ji-hyun, a Korean member of the CPBL's TSG Hawks cheerleading squad and Hualien's tourism ambassador, to ride an electric swan boat.

Yu Ming-hsun, Director of the Tourism Department, stated that 145 boats are still in the inspection phase. If operators are found to be operating vessels that have not passed inspection, their business permits will be immediately revoked. In the future, they will consider affixing a special mark to qualified vessels for tourists to identify.

Yu Ming-hsun added that from July 11 to August 16, they will collaborate with the popular anime "One Piece" to welcome the Thousand Sunny and six classic characters to Liyu Lake. During the event period, tourists riding swan boats can use their tickets or vouchers to board the Thousand Sunny for photos and check-ins. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150630

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