Taichung Marine Aquarium Visitors Halved in 6 Months; City Govt Asserts Transition to Stable Operations
City councilors pointed out that visitor numbers to the Taichung Marine Aquarium have halved since its opening last August, citing issues with parking and exhibit quality. The Tourism Bureau responded that operations are merely entering a stable, normal phase after the opening peak.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 18:49
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Central News Agency (Reporter: Chao Li-yen, Taichung, 23rd) The Taichung Marine Aquarium began trial operations in August last year. Taichung City Councilor Huang Shou-da pointed out today that as of February this year, visitor numbers have nearly halved, questioning the lack of parking spaces and insufficient species exhibits within the facility. The Tourism Bureau stated that the facility has transitioned from its opening peak into regular, stable operations.
The Taichung City Council held an interpellations session on transportation and land administration today. Democratic Progressive Party councilors Huang Shou-da, Wang Li-jen, and Chang Yu-yen noted during their interpellation that the Taichung Marine Aquarium, built at a cost of 1.3 billion NTD, began trial operations last August, positioned as a key tourist attraction on Taichung's coastal line.
Huang stated that from its opening in August to December, the average monthly visitor count was 66,000. However, in February this year, it plummeted to just 38,000 per month, a decrease of over 28,000, nearly halving the attendance. Some visitors also pointed out that the jellyfish in the aquarium are in poor condition and there are errors in species labeling.
Wang mentioned that the Taichung Marine Aquarium opened in August last year, but cross-industry collaborations only started in April this year, questioning if this planning was only initiated after realizing that crowd numbers fell short of expectations after opening.
Chen Mei-hsiu, Director-General of the Taichung City Tourism Bureau, stated that since the opening, the operator's operational revenue has seen positive growth, and the nearby Wuqi Fishing Port has also reported daily increases in tourists. She added that the parking issue will be resolved by leasing land from the Taichung Port Authority.
The Tourism Bureau provided supplementary written details, explaining that the attraction is transitioning from its opening peak to a normal, steady operation phase, and the current overall performance is still higher than the original baseline assessments. During January and February this year, factors such as cold waves, increased rainfall, and dispersed large-scale festival activities affected travel patterns. After the Lunar New Year holidays concluded and schools resumed, overall museum attendance returned to normal levels. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150423
The Taichung City Council held an interpellations session on transportation and land administration today. Democratic Progressive Party councilors Huang Shou-da, Wang Li-jen, and Chang Yu-yen noted during their interpellation that the Taichung Marine Aquarium, built at a cost of 1.3 billion NTD, began trial operations last August, positioned as a key tourist attraction on Taichung's coastal line.
Huang stated that from its opening in August to December, the average monthly visitor count was 66,000. However, in February this year, it plummeted to just 38,000 per month, a decrease of over 28,000, nearly halving the attendance. Some visitors also pointed out that the jellyfish in the aquarium are in poor condition and there are errors in species labeling.
Wang mentioned that the Taichung Marine Aquarium opened in August last year, but cross-industry collaborations only started in April this year, questioning if this planning was only initiated after realizing that crowd numbers fell short of expectations after opening.
Chen Mei-hsiu, Director-General of the Taichung City Tourism Bureau, stated that since the opening, the operator's operational revenue has seen positive growth, and the nearby Wuqi Fishing Port has also reported daily increases in tourists. She added that the parking issue will be resolved by leasing land from the Taichung Port Authority.
The Tourism Bureau provided supplementary written details, explaining that the attraction is transitioning from its opening peak to a normal, steady operation phase, and the current overall performance is still higher than the original baseline assessments. During January and February this year, factors such as cold waves, increased rainfall, and dispersed large-scale festival activities affected travel patterns. After the Lunar New Year holidays concluded and schools resumed, overall museum attendance returned to normal levels. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150423