Groundbreaking ceremony of Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung was held on the 21st. With 17.82 hectares of site area and a floor area of 5.94 hectares, over 160 international brands from Japan and around the world will be introduced. In conjunction with the Seaview Restaurant and Ferris wheel, the first port shopping center combining tourism with recreation in Taiwan is slated for completion by the end of next year. According to Mayor Chia-lung Lin, this is the first major foreign investment since the Port of Taichung was opened 4 decades ago, and the Taichung City Government also proposed the “Port of Taichung 2.0” plan to upgrade it from an industrial port to a tourist attraction that integrates business, tourism and ecology.

Numerous dignitaries turned out for the lively groundbreaking ceremony of Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung, including: Taichung Mayor Chia-lung Lin, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Chi-chang Tsai, Administrative Deputy Minister of MOTC Zhi-Gu Fan, Legislator Kuo-shu Huang, Taiwan International Ports Corporation Chairman Meng-fen Wu, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. Executive Managing Officer Akihiko Funaoka, Economic Development Bureau Director Yao-chih Lu as well as City Councilors Pi-ling Yu, Shu-lan Liu and Reiju Construction Co., Ltd. President Cheng-yueh Chang.

Mayor Lin commented that Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung is the first major foreign investment since the Port of Taichung’s opening 4 decades ago, and it serves to remedy the situation of the lack of inbound tourist traffic by generating overall developments in sub-city centers around 2 international ports. MOI has also officially approved Taichung City’s regional plan by incorporating “Greater Taichung 123” program into the Central Government’s development plan. Furthermore, in conjunction with the dual gauge elevated railway along the coast line subsidized by the Foresight Program, MOTC has also assisted the city government to evaluate the feasibility of Dual Port Light Rail system in order to facilitate “introducing visitors and exporting cargo via two ports”. By linking sea and air cargo/passenger transportation, Taichung will be connected to the international community and the future, and developments for the relatively underdeveloped coast line will be expedited.

Mayor Lin believes that the port-city collaboration development model is combined with “Port of Taichung 2.0” plan to upgrade it from an industrial port to a tourist attraction integrating business, tourism and ecology, linking cultural destinations and tourist attractions along the coast line such as Gaomei Wetlands, Wuqi Fishing Harbor and Mazu Cultural Park etc. In the future, this will become an important hub for sightseeing and tourism; in particular, with the Mitsui Outlet Park and World Flora Expo scheduled for opening at the same time next year, visitors will have an additional destination for shopping and recreation.

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. Executive Managing Officer Akihiko Funaoka indicated that over 160 international brands from Japan and around the world will be introduced to Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung along with a wide selection of gourmet restaurants favored by Taiwanese people, making it a chic venue for leisure, entertainment and appreciating the harbor’s sceneries. Since Taichung has been upgraded to the second largest metropolis in Taiwan, Mitsui also hopes to contribute towards improving the city’s overall charisma.

Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Chi-chang Tsai suggested that the groundbreaking of Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung is the first step in developing the coast line. The Port of Taichung was once regarded as a back country due to the lack of inbound tourism, but such impression is about to be changed with Mitsui’s investment, because numerous investment projects have taken place in the Port of Taichung thanks to Mitsui, indicating that that market holds optimistic expectations toward development along the coast line. Taichung has already received subsidies from the central government to develop rail transport, which acts as a seamless connection between the coast line and downtown Taichung, thereby making Taichung worthy of its status as the second largest city in the country.

According to Taiwan International Ports Corporation Chairman Meng-fen Wu, Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung’s groundbreaking marks a significant milestone in the development of the Port of Taichung, and the first major waterfront shopping center in Taiwan will soon be established in Taichung. He also expressed gratitude toward Mayor Lin for playing a pivotal role in facilitating the partnership by visiting Japan at the strategic moment.

Mitsui Outlet Park Port of Taichung has 17.82 hectares of site area and a floor area of 5.94 hectares, over 160 international brands from Japan and around the world will be introduced along with gourmet restaurants. In addition, a Seaview Restaurant and leisure facility such as Ferris wheel will be constructed amid the unique, picturesque environment.