Penghu's county government has been running boats to its outer islands since 1952, when its bus office added two ferries, the Kaipeng and the Qiansui, and renamed itself the Public Vehicle and Ship Management Office. The same office still runs the boat to Qimei today, now with the Nanhai Star, in service since 2007, and the Nanhai Star No. 2, in service since 2015. Between them they cover one fixed round trip a day: 09:30 from Magong's South Sea pier, 11:35 into Nanhu Harbor on Qimei, 13:30 back out and 15:20 into Magong.
Those times come from the November 2026 timetable the office announced on October 15. Throughout November the pattern only changes on the 17th and 26th, when the return leaves Qimei at 12:30, and on the 4th, the 16th, the 25th and the 30th, when an extra 08:00 boat from Magong runs to Qimei and on to Kaohsiung. The printed timetable put the first of those runs on the 5th; an office notice of October 30 brought it forward to the 4th, and the website timetable and the Maritime and Port Bureau's sailing list show the new date. The office's published timetables run to November 30.
This is not a direct boat. Every sailing calls at Tanmen Harbor on Wang'an, arriving 10:20 and leaving 10:50 on the way out, and arriving 14:15 and leaving 14:30 on the way back, so you share the trip with passengers bound for Wang'an.
November on the South Sea route: fixed sailings and Kaohsiung days
Daily fixed sailing in November (except 17 and 26)
| No. | From Magong – South Sea pier | From Qimei – Nanhu Harbor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09:30 | 13:30 |
November 4, 16, 25 and 30 (extra Kaohsiung run)
| No. | From Magong – South Sea pier | From Qimei – Nanhu Harbor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08:00 | 13:30 |
| 2 | 09:30 |
November 17 and 26 (earlier return)
| No. | From Magong – South Sea pier | From Qimei – Nanhu Harbor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09:30 | 12:30 |
| 2 | 14:00 |
Penghu County Public Vehicle and Ship Office ferry timetable for November 2026 (1–30 November); the December timetable has not been published. Checked October 30, 2026. Penghu County Public Vehicle and Ship Office – ferry timetable, November 2026 (PDF) · 2026-10-30
Reading the four-column fare table
The fare table has four blocks, and as a visitor you read the first one, 'A – general', meant for anyone not registered as a resident of Wang'an or Qimei. On the fixed Magong–Qimei sailing an adult pays NT$438 one way, a child aged 3 to under 12 pays NT$221, students and military or police with ID pay NT$373, and a child under 3 pays just the NT$3 insurance. Every fare is one way and already includes passenger insurance; the Magong–Qimei leg costs the same on the Kaohsiung extension.
Figures printed in red in the table are a 30 percent winter discount (November to March) for residents of Magong, Huxi, Baisha and Xiyu, and Wang'an and Qimei residents have their own columns; neither applies to visitors. The NT$221 disability fare is limited to Republic of China nationals with a disability and one companion.
| Adult | NT$438 |
| Child, 3 to under 12 | NT$221 |
| Disability (ROC nationals) plus one companion | NT$221 |
| Student, military or police (with ID) | NT$373 |
| Under 3 (insurance only) | NT$3 |
County ferry fare table in force since December 19, 2025. Checked October 30, 2026. Penghu County Public Vehicle and Ship Office – ferry fare table (from December 19, 2025) · 2026-10-30
South Sea pier, Tanmen and Nanhu
Halfway, the boat calls at Tanmen Harbor on Wang'an. Passengers joining there buy their ticket at the FamilyMart store in Dong'an Village (2-13 Dong'an), which doubles as the Wang'an ticket office. If you are only going as far as Wang'an, the township's own boats are another option; see the Magong–Wang'an ferry.
Magong – South Sea pier
The Magong ticket office is in the county's South Sea tourist pier waiting room at 100 Xinying Road; the November timetable places it about 100 meters north of the visitor center. Under the ticket rules, the counter sells to visitors not registered in the outlying townships from 08:20 to 09:30, after a priority window for registered residents from 08:00. The ships' home berth is listed as Magong's Third Fishing Harbor.
Qimei – Nanhu Harbor
On Qimei the boat berths at Nanhu Harbor, but tickets for the return are sold at the old Qimei visitor center, 26-4 Nangang Village, which is not the pier itself. Visitors can buy there from 12:50 to 13:30 for the fixed 13:30 sailing; residents have a slot before that.
Wang'an first, then Qimei
The county's fleet page gives the distance and sailing time of each leg: Magong to Wang'an is 18 nautical miles, about 50 minutes; Wang'an to Qimei 11 nautical miles, about 30 minutes. On Kaohsiung days the Qimei–Kaohsiung leg is 58 nautical miles, about 160 minutes. The two pins use the pier locations recorded on OpenStreetMap.
Practical points for a day on Qimei
- Bring photo ID
The ticket rules require an original ID card, a photo identity document or a TPASS card both when buying and when boarding.
- Limited online seats
Each fixed sailing has 60 online seats (30 for Wang'an, 30 for Qimei), up to 4 tickets per person, sold on the Penghu GO ferry ticket site until 21:00 the day before. You board with the QR ticket on your phone.
- Three-meter waves stop it
The Magong–Wang'an–Qimei boat does not sail when waves reach 3 meters or the wind is too strong, and the captain can also call it off. The office goes by the Central Weather Administration's sea forecast for Dongji.
- Passengers and cargo
Both ships carry freight for the islands as well as passengers, and departure can slip when there is a lot to load or unload.
- Refunds after cancellations
A ticket is valid only for its date and sailing. If a typhoon or bad weather cancels it, you have 30 days to claim a refund with no fee.
The county's own little fleet
The office's own history lists the ships that came before: the 128-ton Qimei, built in 1992 and retired in 2005, then the 350-ton Nanhai Star, launched in January 2007, and the 495-ton Nanhai Star No. 2, which made its first voyage on August 7, 2015 and won the Ministry of Transportation's award for outstanding passenger ship operation and service in 2019 and 2021. The fleet page gives the Nanhai Star 197 passenger places and the No. 2 281, and describes both as carrying sea transport and supplies for Wang'an and Qimei.
Since July 1, 2009, residents registered on Wang'an and Qimei travel free on this route, which is why the fare table has so many columns. The November timetable also notes that the overnight Qimei boat and the Friday special only run from April to September, so in November your options to Qimei are the fixed sailing, the Kaohsiung-extension days and the extra boats on the 28th.
Getting to Qimei by the county ferry: questions answered
What time does the boat leave Magong for Qimei?
In November, daily at 09:30 from the South Sea pier, arriving at Qimei at 11:35 after calling at Wang'an. On four November dates (4, 16, 25 and 30) there is also an 08:00 boat that reaches Qimei at 10:05.
Is there a direct boat?
Not on the fixed sailing, which always stops at Wang'an. The only non-stop boats in the November timetable are the extra Haiyou sailings on November 28: Magong 08:30 to Qimei 09:40, and Qimei 12:00 to Magong 13:00.
How much is a ticket?
NT$438 for an adult, NT$221 for a child aged 3 to under 12, NT$373 for students, military and police with ID, and NT$3 insurance for under-3s. All one way, insurance included.
Can I book online?
Yes, for up to 60 seats per sailing (30 for Wang'an, 30 for Qimei) on the Penghu GO ferry ticket site, until 21:00 the day before, 4 tickets per person. On November 28 tickets are sold only at the counter.
Can I do Qimei as a day trip from Magong?
The fixed sailing arrives at 11:35 and leaves again at 13:30, returning to Magong at 15:20. On November 17 and 26 it leaves Qimei earlier, at 12:30, with a later 14:00 boat back from Kaohsiung that reaches Magong at 16:20.
When is the ferry cancelled?
When waves reach 3 meters or the wind is too strong, or when the captain decides the sea is unsafe. Cancellations are posted on the office's website and in its waiting rooms, and tickets for a weather cancellation can be refunded within 30 days without a fee.
Is the December timetable available?
The office timetables on this page run to November 30. On October 30, 2026 the December download link on the office website had no file behind it; for December sailings check the ferry timetable page on the office website or call +886-6-921-3822.