Taiwan Food Atlas

Zhengbin Fishing Harbor Colorful Houses

A fishing harbor streetscape where Japanese colonial port remnants stand alongside brightly painted residential buildings
📍 Keelung · Zhongshan District, Zhengbin Road🎨 Cultural District🔖 Colorfully Painted Harbor Buildings

A row of residential buildings along the Zhengbin Fishing Harbor waterfront has been painted in vivid colors, creating a visually striking palette of side-by-side hues. The harbor itself retains remnants of port facilities from the Japanese colonial period, and the site layers modern fishing history with more recent community revitalization.

What to See at Zhengbin Fishing Harbor Colorful Houses

Zhengbin Fishing Harbor was already an important fishing base for Keelung during the Japanese colonial period, and parts of its early harbor infrastructure are still discernible today. In a recent community revitalization initiative, the exterior walls of harbor-front residences were repainted in various colors, creating what is now known as the "Colorful Houses." The Colorful Houses face the harbor's water surface, and the visual effect is most complete when the reflections are clear.

Beyond the Colorful Houses themselves, Zhengbin Fishing Harbor's Japanese colonial remnants add another historical layer to the site. Some of the harbor-edge buildings retain architectural forms from early fishing industry facilities, which can be observed alongside the painted makeover. The harbor is still an active fishing port rather than a purely touristic destination, so you can still sense the daily rhythm of a harbor community.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Visit

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Shoot from the Opposite BankPhotographing the Colorful Houses facades and their water reflections from across the harbor gives you the most complete composition.
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Japanese Colonial Harbor RemnantsLook closely at the older, more worn structures along the waterfront — the architectural forms of Japanese-era fishing facilities can be identified.
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Water ReflectionsWhen the water is calm, harbor reflections are sharp; morning light is the best time for observation and photography.
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Connect to Heping IslandZhengbin Fishing Harbor is close to Heping Island — a natural extension to the Geopark or Shiliao East Battery.

Practical Information

Getting There & Hours

  • Take a bus heading toward Heping Island and get off at the stop near Zhengbin Fishing Harbor.
  • The outdoor area can be visited at any time, though morning light and water reflections are at their best in the early hours.

Nearby Connections

  • Heping Island Geopark is within walking distance — suitable for a combined half-day itinerary.
  • Shiliao East Battery is on Heping Island and can be extended to for an additional historic site visit.

Source: compiled from publicly available documents and on-site information. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.