NT$1,050 buys an adult a single economy berth from Keelung to Matsu, and NT$1,000 the same berth back. The ship is the New Taima, run by All Ports Express, and it leaves Keelung's West Passenger Terminal at 22:30 every night except Tuesday, when it is out of service for maintenance. You board between 21:30 and 21:50, sleep, and wake up in Matsu.
Which island you reach first depends on the date. The county's published pattern is simple: on odd-numbered dates the ship goes to Nangan first and then Dongyin; on even-numbered dates it reverses. The Maritime and Port Bureau schedule for early November follows that rule exactly, including two odd dates in a row at the turn of the month (31 October and 1 November), when both nights call at Nangan first.
The ship back to Keelung always leaves Nangan at 09:30. What changes is the route: after an even-date night it sails straight home, after an odd-date night it calls at Dongyin first and leaves there at 12:00.
The date decides which island comes first
Odd dates: Keelung → Nangan → Dongyin → Keelung
| No. | From Keelung West Passenger Terminal, 2nd floor | From Nangan, Fuao Harbor passenger building |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22:30 | 09:30 |
Even dates: Keelung → Dongyin → Nangan → Keelung
| No. | From Keelung West Passenger Terminal, 2nd floor | From Nangan, Fuao Harbor passenger building |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22:30 | 09:30 |
Pattern published by the Lienchiang County Transport and Tourism Bureau and All Ports Express, cross-checked day by day against the Maritime and Port Bureau schedule for 1–13 November 2026. Checked 30 October 2026. Whether each sailing runs is announced at 11:00 on the day. Lienchiang County Transport and Tourism Bureau – Taima and inter-island schedule · 2026-10-30
What a berth or a seat costs each way
Fares are per person and one way, and the trip north costs a little more than the trip south: All Ports Express marks the Keelung-to-Matsu table as tax included and the Matsu-to-Keelung table as tax free. The price is the same whether you get on or off at Nangan or Dongyin.
Seats in the economy seating area only go on sale once every berth is sold. The family berth is a double bed for two people, one of whom must be under 12. First class cannot be booked online; All Ports Express takes those requests by email or phone.
| First class (two-person room) | NT$1,890 |
| VIP cabin (four-person room) | NT$1,575 |
| Economy single berth | NT$1,050 |
| Economy family berth, per person | NT$840 |
| Economy seat | NT$630 |
| First class (two-person room) | NT$1,800 |
| VIP cabin (four-person room) | NT$1,500 |
| Economy single berth | NT$1,000 |
| Economy family berth, per person | NT$800 |
| Economy seat | NT$600 |
| To Matsu, economy single berth | NT$525 |
| To Matsu, economy seat | NT$315 |
| To Keelung, economy single berth | NT$500 |
| To Keelung, economy seat | NT$300 |
Fare tables of the county booking system and of All Ports Express, neither with an expiry date. Checked 30 October 2026. Matsu maritime booking system – fares · 2026-10-30
Second floor in Keelung, Fuao Harbor on Nangan
On Dongyin the ship uses Zhongzhu Harbor, boarding at the Dongyin port building. There is no ticket sale at the Dongyin pier: tickets are sold the afternoon before departure at the All Ports Express office next to Dongyin post office.
Keelung West Passenger Terminal, 2nd floor
Tickets, seat and berth allocation and boarding all happen on the second floor of the West Passenger Terminal, a short walk from the north exit of Keelung railway station. Boarding opens at 21:30 and the gate closes at 21:50. The operator points travelers to the train: the walk from the station to the West terminal takes three to five minutes.
Nangan, Fuao Harbor passenger building
For the return to Keelung, buy or collect the ticket at the counter on the ground floor of the Fuao Harbor visitor service center, then board from the new passenger building: boarding from 08:30, gate closed at 09:20, departure 09:30. The boats to Beigan and to the Juguang islands use the same harbor.
Northwest overnight from Keelung to the Matsu islands
Keelung is the harbor city at the northern tip of Taiwan; the Matsu islands lie out at sea to the northwest and form Lienchiang County. The ship sails through the night, calls at Nangan's Fuao Harbor and Dongyin's Zhongzhu Harbor in an order set by the date, and then heads back. The Nangan–Dongyin leg can also be booked on its own by day; see the Nangan–Dongyin ferry. Neither the operator nor the county publishes the distance, so none is given here.
Booking, ID, weather calls and luggage
- Carry photo ID
Every passenger needs an identity document with a photo; for visitors from abroad that means the passport. There is a security check before boarding at Keelung.
- Booking opens two months ahead
The county's Matsu maritime booking system sells Taima tickets up to two months before the sailing date. Refunds carry a 10% fee. Tickets can also be bought at the terminal counters before departure.
- Check at 11:00 on the day
Whether the Keelung sailing goes ahead is announced at 11:00 that day. If it is cancelled for weather, the next day's sailings from Nangan and Dongyin back to Keelung are cancelled too, so plan the return around it.
- Vehicles go as freight
The New Taima is a roll-on roll-off ship with room for 45 cars. Cars, scooters and bicycles pay a separate freight charge from a county-approved table published on the All Ports Express site; passengers' own fares do not include a vehicle.
- Book a berth, not a seat
Seats only open once berths are sold out. A single economy berth comes with a small safe, a reading light and a USB socket, which makes the overnight trip much easier.
The two ships on the Keelung run
The New Taima was built by Miura Shipbuilding in Japan, delivered in March 2023 and entered service in April that year. It measures 5,341 gross tons, carries 642 passengers in 386 berths and 256 seats, and has a car deck for 45 cars or 18 coaches. Cabins range from first class and four-berth VIP rooms to large economy dormitories with family and wheelchair-accessible berths.
The older Taima Star (2015, 580 passengers) usually works the short Nangan–Dongyin leg and stands in on the Keelung run when the New Taima is out of service; its cabin layout is different, so the class you booked follows the notice for that sailing. On arrival at Nangan, the Nangan–Beigan ferry and the boat to Dongju and Xiju leave from the same Fuao Harbor.
Ships
Taima ship questions from first-time visitors
Does tonight's ship go to Nangan or Dongyin first?
Look at the date the ship leaves Keelung: odd dates go to Nangan first, even dates to Dongyin first. The 31st and the 1st of the next month are both odd, so both nights call at Nangan first.
What time is the ship from Nangan back to Taiwan?
09:30 from Fuao Harbor, with boarding from 08:30 and the gate closing at 09:20. After an odd-date sailing the ship goes to Dongyin first and leaves there for Keelung at 12:00.
Is there a sailing on Tuesday night?
The New Taima is in maintenance on Tuesdays. The November schedule shows no Keelung departure on Tuesday 3 November and the Taima Star leaving at 22:30 on Tuesday 10 November, so check the notice for the week you travel.
Can a foreign visitor book online?
Yes, through the county's Matsu maritime booking system, up to two months ahead. Bring the passport you booked with, because ID is checked before boarding.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The decision is posted at 11:00 on the day of sailing; All Ports Express also answers on +886-2-2425-6777. A cancelled Keelung departure also cancels the next day's return sailings from Matsu.
How do I get a ticket on Dongyin?
Buy it the afternoon before you sail at the All Ports Express office beside Dongyin post office; nothing is sold at the pier. You board at the Dongyin port building in Zhongzhu Harbor.
Is a seat much cheaper than a berth?
An economy seat is NT$630 to Matsu and NT$600 back, against NT$1,050 and NT$1,000 for a single berth, but seats only go on sale after all berths are sold.