Zhengbin Harbor Fresh-Catch Seafood

Zhengbin Harbor fresh-catch seafood is the daily-catch dining style found at restaurants around Keelung's Zhengbin Fishing Harbor. The harbor's predecessor, Keelung Fishing Harbor, was built by the Japanese colonial government between 1929 and 1934 and was once northern Taiwan's largest fishing port, with capacity for about 400 boats. Boats dock, unload, and weigh their catch just steps from the restaurants' kitchen doors; the menu changes daily depending on what came in, compressing the distance from ocean to plate to just a few hours.

The predecessor of Zhengbin Fishing Harbor, called Keelung Fishing Harbor under Japanese rule, broke ground in 1929 and was completed in 1934; it was northern Taiwan's largest fishing port at the time, with capacity for about 400 boats. After WWII it was renamed Zhengbin Harbor, combining the character for Zhongzheng District with that of the Japanese-era Hamamachi (Bin-cho) district. It is now classified as a Category 1 fishing port capable of berthing vessels over 1,000 tons, with an annual catch of roughly 30,000 metric tons.

What is Zhengbin Harbor Fresh-Catch Seafood

Zhengbin Fishing Harbor is one of Keelung's active fishing ports, operating primarily in nearshore waters. Its main catches include largehead hairtail, squid (a species closely related to Taiwanese seagrass squid), red sea bream, and sea bass — common fish species found in the nearshore waters of northern Taiwan. The seafood restaurants clustered around the harbor operate on a "daily catch" model with no fixed menu; chefs decide the cooking method based on what arrived that day, choosing between steaming, salt-grilling, stir-frying with sate sauce, or three-cup preparation depending on the fish. The freshness of the ingredients is Zhengbin seafood's core selling point — the springiness of squid and the rich fat of hairtail peak on the day of landing.

Zhengbin Fishing Harbor's history dates back to the Japanese colonial period, when it served as an important fishing hub in northern Taiwan. After the war, it transitioned as Keelung Port became increasingly commercialized, and today it is home mainly to small and medium-sized fishing vessels. The cluster of harborside restaurants formed directly alongside the port's fish-unloading operations, with multiple establishments sourcing from the fishing supply chain. According to port management records from the Fisheries Agency of the Council of Agriculture, Zhengbin is a registered legal fish-unloading port, ensuring supply chain traceability. In recent years, the Rainbow House art project has driven increased tourism, raising the profile of the harborside seafood restaurants as well.

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Sources: Fisheries Agency of the Council of Agriculture port management records; Keelung City Government Tourism Bureau introduction to Zhengbin Fishing Harbor. Photos pending Dio's on-site shoot for exclusive channel footage.