Kaohsiung to Lanyu | Houbihu in Summer, Fugang in Winter

Kaohsiung to Lanyu has two paths — which one is faster depends on the season. In peak season (Apr–Sep), the Houbihu line is fastest. From Kaohsiung Bus Station, Kenting / Hengchun express buses take about 2.5 hours to Kenting and on to Houbihu Ferry Pier (Hengchun area, Pingtung). Boats run alternately by Jinxing No. 3 and Lyudao Star No. 3 — 2 sailings a day (outbound 07:00 and 12:20; return 09:30 and 14:45), 120 minutes to Kaiyuan Harbor on Lanyu. End-to-end this saves 3–4 hours over the detour through Fugang.

From November through March, Houbihu shuts down completely for the northeast monsoon, and Fugang (Taitung) is the only option. EMU3000 Tze-Chiang Limited Express or Puyuma Express on the South-Link Line reaches Taitung in about 1 hr 47 min at the fastest. Transfer at Bay 1 to Puyuma Transport Route 201 — Fugang Ferry Pier (Taitung) is 20 minutes for NT$25 — then take the 150-minute ferry to Kaiyuan Harbor at NT$1,200 one way. The winter Fugang–Lanyu line runs on a government-subsidized schedule: fixed sailings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with selected Sundays (check the monthly calendar on ferry.tw for exact dates).

The South-Link Line is often suspended during typhoons or heavy rain (July–November); 2024 and 2025 both saw multiple major shutdowns. Houbihu sailings can also be canceled at short notice for rough seas. Always confirm on ferry.tw before setting out — better to find out before the bus to Kenting than after.