The Magong North Loop (Route 0162) is a sightseeing shuttle under the Tourism Administration’s “Taiwan Tourist Shuttle” brand, operated by the Penghu County Public Transport Management Office. It runs as a one-directional loop with 19 stops, starting and ending at Xiwei East Station. The route connects Magong Port, the Cross-Sea Bridge (Xiyu end), Sanxian Pagoda, Daguoye Basalt Columns, Erkan Old Settlement, and Tongliang Banyan Tree in sequence — the most direct public transit option for visitors without a car or scooter, and for families and senior groups wanting to cover the North Loop in a single trip.
Route Overview
The main value of this line is connecting Penghu’s scattered North Loop attractions into a single journey. The sights are geographically spread out: the Cross-Sea Bridge spans the Houmen Channel between Baisha and Xiyu; Sanxian Pagoda sits above Wai-an Fishing Harbor at the southern tip of Xiyu; the Daguoye Basalt Columns and Erkan Old Settlement are on the mid-western shore of Xiyu; and Tongliang Banyan Tree stands beside Baoan Temple in Tongliang Village, Baisha. County bus routes are primarily commuter-oriented, with coverage split across multiple lines. The Magong North Loop reorders these stops along a sightseeing itinerary, allowing visitors to reach each attraction in sequence without transferring.
The attractions along the route complement one another: the Cross-Sea Bridge is Penghu’s most recognized landmark; Sanxian Pagoda offers harbor views of Waian at sunset; the Daguoye Basalt Columns are a geological feature best seen when the columnar joints reflect in standing water during the wet season; Erkan is a well-preserved village of traditional coral-stone houses; and Tongliang Banyan Tree, a centuries-old tree alongside Baoan Temple, provides a sense of everyday local life. A single loop covers geology, traditional settlement, and ocean scenery more efficiently than piecing together county bus routes independently.
Stop Sequence and Direction
Route 0162 is a one-way loop. Stops follow the TDX-published order:
- Outbound (departing from Magong): Xiwei East Station → Magong Port → Bus Terminal → Liberty Tower (Shengguo) → Third Fishing Harbor (Yalin) → Wenao (Yuantai, Boshidoli) → Dongwei Station → Cross-Sea Bridge (Xiyu end) → Sanxian Pagoda → Daguoye Basalt Columns → Erkan Old Settlement → Tongliang Banyan Tree.
- Return (back to Magong along the reverse route): Tongliang Banyan Tree → Dongwei Station → Wenao → Third Fishing Harbor → Liberty Tower → Bus Terminal → Magong Port → Xiwei East Station.
Note that the Cross-Sea Bridge stop is at the Xiyu end — passengers disembark after crossing the bridge. The next stop, Sanxian Pagoda, is at the observation platform above Waian Harbor at the southern tip of Xiyu; the villages of Xiaomen and Zhuyuan are not served. Visitors wanting to see Xiaomen Whale Cave should take Waian Line 0758 instead.
Stop Highlights
Magong city departure segment (Xiwei East Station to Liberty Tower): Most visitors board at Magong Port or the Bus Terminal. Magong Port is adjacent to the ferry passenger terminal — convenient for travelers transferring from the ferry. The Bus Terminal is the city’s main transfer hub, with a convenience store nearby. The stop after the Bus Terminal is Liberty Tower (Shengguo), on the eastern edge of the historic old town; walk west from there to reach the heart of Zhongyang Old Street.
Transition segment (Third Fishing Harbor to Cross-Sea Bridge): After Liberty Tower, the bus calls at Third Fishing Harbor (Yalin), Wenao (Yuantai, Boshidoli), and Dongwei Station as the route turns northward from Magong city. The Wenao area has a concentration of hotels and is a common base for tour groups. After Dongwei Station, the bus heads directly onto the Cross-Sea Bridge (Xiyu end). This is the most scenic stretch of the entire route: at 2,494 m, the Penghu Cross-Sea Bridge spans the Houmen Channel, and on a clear day passengers on the sea-facing side can see the reefs around Baisha and the general direction of Mudou Island Lighthouse in the distance.
Xiyu attractions segment (Sanxian Pagoda to Tongliang Banyan Tree): After crossing the bridge, the bus heads south to Sanxian Pagoda — three pagodas at the highest point above Waian Fishing Harbor, also a prime vantage point for photographing the harbor’s warm evening lights. The bus then turns north, stopping at Daguoye Basalt Columns (columnar-joint basalt formations; best at low tide and in the morning light), Erkan Village (a Qing-dynasty coral-stone village and one of the most complete surviving examples of traditional Hokkien settlement in Penghu), and Tongliang Banyan Tree (a tree over 300 years old whose trunk has extended nearly 100 aerial-root pillars; together with Baoan Temple’s forecourt, it forms the most lived-in stop on the North Loop).
Tips for Planning Your Visit
Exploring Magong city center: Getting off at Magong Port or the Bus Terminal, you can walk 5–10 minutes to the Four-Eyed Well, Zhongyang Old Street, and Magong Tianhou Temple — three sites forming the core of the historic city center. The Four-Eyed Well is one of the oldest surviving wells in Taiwan; Tianhou Temple was established during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty and marks the starting point of Penghu’s recorded settlement history. With extra time, continue west along the coast to Guanyin Pavilion (an additional 20–25 minutes on foot). The waterfront plaza at Guanyin Pavilion is one of the venues for the Penghu Ocean Fireworks Festival, with a cycling path and ocean-view platform nearby.
Xiyu Lighthouse (Fisherman Island Lighthouse): Alighting at Sanxian Pagoda, you can walk to the Xiyu Lighthouse (Fisherman Island Lighthouse), built in 1891 (the 17th year of the Guangxu reign, Qing Dynasty). It is one of the oldest Western-style lighthouses still standing in Taiwan, with wide open views; on clear days, Qimei can be seen to the south. The lighthouse is located in Wai-an village, Xiyu Township, approximately 1.5–2 km from Sanxian Pagoda stop over hilly terrain. Opening hours: 09:00–18:00 from April to October, 09:00–17:00 from November to March; closed Mondays; free admission.
Best Time to Ride
Taiwan Tourist Shuttle departures are far less frequent than city bus routes. Taking the earliest departure of the day gives you adequate time for roughly 40–60 minutes at each attraction. Both Erkan Village and Tongliang Banyan Tree require time on foot after alighting — a short layover is not sufficient. Route 0162 has no entries in the TDX first-last-trip dataset, so refer to the timetable on this page or to schedules published by the Penghu County Public Vehicles Administration (06-9213822) for exact first and last departures of the day.
The most comfortable seasons are May–June and September–October, which also coincide with the Penghu Ocean Fireworks Festival (in 2026, running from May with shows on Mondays and Thursdays at Guanyin Pavilion through late June, then shifting to Tuesdays in July–August; confirm exact dates with the county tourism office each year). In midsummer (July–August) the Cross-Sea Bridge section is windy and exposed to strong sun — bring a hat and water. From November through March the northeast monsoon makes the Xiyu end stops particularly windswept; older visitors and those with young children should dress warmly. Departures are often reduced during this period, so confirm services are running before heading out. If you are catching an evening flight or ferry back to the Taiwan mainland on the same day, take an early return departure to allow buffer time for possible traffic delays on the Cross-Sea Bridge.
Fare Information
Fares for Route 0162 are disclosed by TDX as distance-based segments. From Magong Port, single adult fares are: NT$133 to Sanxian Pagoda, NT$156 to Daguoye Basalt Columns, NT$170 to Erkan Village, and NT$204 to Tongliang Banyan Tree. From Xiwei East Station: NT$144, NT$167, NT$181, and NT$215 respectively. If you plan to stop at more than two Xiyu attractions in a day, the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Penghu Day Pass offers unlimited rides for a single flat fare and is likely better value than buying multiple single-trip tickets. Current pass prices and sales channels (online pre-purchase, the Magong Port ticket counter, and partner travel agencies) are published on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle site (taiwantrip.com.tw) and the official “Penghu Fun Easy” announcements.