Taiwan’s 1st ever underwater mailbox unveiled in Penghu County
General Affairs Department,Penghu County Government
2017-07-05
1919
-
Taiwan’s first ever underwater mailbox was unveiled July 3 in outlying Penghu County, with the local government expecting it to attract more visitors from home and abroad while buoying the local tourism industry.
Situated in 4 to 6 meters of water 150 meters from Suogang Village in Magong City, the 1.6-meter-tall stainless steel mailbox sits atop a concrete base amid a string of artificial reefs. Letter collection will be carried out by staffers from local dive operators, with Penghu County Government commissioning 2,000 waterproof postcards to mark the event.
Penghu County Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu said at the unveiling ceremony that the mailbox is the fruition of a six-month effort aimed at raising marine conservation awareness among residents and tourists. As well as fulfilling this role and regular postal functions, it will serve as an aquatic art installation, he added.
According to Chen, Penghu is blessed with some of the most beautiful bays and beaches in the world. It is hoped the mailbox will boost the county’s global tourism profile and entice more visitors to experience the natural beauty of the archipelago, he said.
But the mailbox is not the only arrow in the local government’s tourism industry quiver. Other initiatives include a cooperative project with the central government establishing shipwreck and underwater museums, as well as a tie-up with local dive operators promoting various scuba and snorkeling sites in the South Sea recreation sector of Penghu National Scenic Area.
Located in the middle of the Taiwan Strait, Penghu comprises nearly 100 islets dotted over 127 square kilometers. More than 1 million tourists visited the archipelago in 2016, up 100,000 year on year, according to the local government. (KWS-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
