A Walking Guide to Zhongtun After the Wind Turbines: Reading Wind, Place Names and an Island's Energy Memory at the Gateway to Baisha

Zhongtun makes a fitting opening stop on Penghu's North Ring Road. Most travellers heading from Magong toward Baisha and Xiyu notice the landscape suddenly open up around the Zhongzheng and Yong'an bridges: the road runs close to the water, the village sits low, and the wind pushes straight in off the sea. The most striking sight here used to be a row of white wind turbines, but travel information has to keep pace with reality — recent public records show Zhongtun's old turbines were fully dismantled in 2025. So a visit to Zhongtun today shouldn't be built around "seeing the turbines"; it's better understood as a walk that helps you read the gateway to Baisha, Penghu's wind energy history and the area's local memory.

According to sightseeing information from the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration (Tourism Administration, MOTC), Zhongtun's old place name was Zhongdun, named for its mound-like shape between Penghu's main island and Baisha Island; after WWII the name was written with the similar-sounding characters that became Zhongtun. Yong'an Bridge, Zhongzheng Bridge and the Penghu Great Bridge later linked Magong, Huxi, Baisha and Xiyu into a fuller road-trip route. The same source records the history of the Zhongtun Wind Farm: located in Zhongtun Village, Baisha Township, it began commercial operation in October 2001 with eight 600kW turbines and became a well-known Baisha landmark. The National Cultural Memory Bank adds a more recent timeline: the turbines that once defined Zhongtun Village, first switched on in 2001, were completely dismantled in 2025.

What there is to see in Zhongtun now

Thinking of Zhongtun as "no turbines, no attraction" would miss what actually makes it interesting. The location itself is distinctive, sitting between Penghu's main island and Baisha Island, where the bridges rewrote a rhythm of life that once depended on crossing by sea — and now give the North Ring route a natural transition point. You can pull over briefly wherever it's safe to stop and watch how the road, the sea, the bridges and the village fit together, or simply treat Zhongtun as a place to get your bearings before continuing on to the Tongliang Banyan Tree, the Penghu Great Bridge, Chikan, the Jibei ferry pier or the Xiyu route.

With the turbines gone, conditions on site may still change due to construction, land management or future planning. This article doesn't promise access to any specific facility, and we don't recommend entering construction sites, restricted areas or unmarked land in search of where the old turbines once stood. The best way to enjoy Zhongtun is to read it as a stretch of landscape along the road: where the wind comes from, what the bridges connect, and how the village sits close to the sea while still keeping its own everyday boundaries.

A half-day route you could try

• A short stop early on the North Ring: leaving Magong, get your bearings around Zhongtun first, then continue on to the Tongliang Banyan Tree, the Penghu Great Bridge and the sights around Xiyu.
• A relaxed Baisha version: if you don't want to rush through Xiyu in a single day, arrange a looser half-day combining Zhongtun, Chikan, the North Sea Visitor Center and the villages of Baisha.
• A wind-and-energy theme: good for travelling with kids or anyone curious about landscape change — the turbines' removal is a natural way into talking about renewable energy, local opinion and how views of the coast shift over time.
• A brief photo stop: focus on the bridges, the sea, the road and the low-lying landscape, rather than treating the now-removed turbines as a guaranteed shot.

Misunderstandings worth avoiding

The first misunderstanding is mistaking old photos for how things look now. Classic shots of the Zhongtun turbines still circulate online, but before setting out in 2026 you should rely on official sources, on-site notices and the latest information. The second is parking carelessly, cutting down side lanes or entering unmarked areas just to recreate an old landmark photo — traffic on the North Ring Road can be steady, so even a short stop means checking first that parking is safe and doesn't affect residents or other road users. The third is reducing the turbines' removal to a simple good-or-bad story. For travellers it's a piece of landscape memory; for local residents, the power utility and land managers, it also involves safety, maintenance, upgrades, land use and how the community feels about the change.

The more grown-up way to enjoy Zhongtun, then, isn't chasing a landmark that's already gone but accepting that landscapes change. The white turbines used to let travellers know from a distance that they'd reached Baisha; now that gateway can be read more slowly, through the bridges, the sea, the wind and the village. Chase only fixed landmarks and a place feels diminished the moment they're gone; read the changes instead, and you'll notice more of Penghu's everyday life.

A few reminders before you stop by

1. Check official sources and on-site notices before you set out; if you run into construction or restrictions, simply drive past or observe from the road instead.
2. Don't enter construction sites, private land, nurseries or any area not clearly marked as open to visitors.
3. Put road safety first when taking photos — don't stop on the bridge deck, in a traffic lane or on a bend.
4. Secure hats, phones and loose items when the wind picks up, and build in rest time for children and older companions.
5. Don't treat old turbine photos as a promise of what you'll see today — any itinerary description should make clear that conditions may have changed.

Fitting Zhongtun into a smoother Penghu trip

Zhongtun isn't a place that needs a long visit, but it works well as an opening chapter for the North Ring Road. It's a reminder that Penghu's wind isn't just background noise — it has shaped transport, farming and fishing life, energy infrastructure and how the islands are imagined for tourism. Head north from here and you can continue to Baisha's villages and the North Sea ferry piers; head west and you'll move through the Penghu Great Bridge and the Xiyu landscape; and looking back, you can see that Magong, Huxi and Baisha aren't isolated stops but an everyday network strung together by bridges and sea wind.

To arrange Zhongtun, Tongliang, the Penghu Great Bridge, Xiyu or the Jibei ferry into an unhurried North Ring itinerary, tell us your travel dates, accommodation, your companions' ages and whether you need outer-island ferry arrangements through Phbay Travel trip consultation; we'll help sort out timing, transport order and backup options. Please still confirm actual access, roads, construction, traffic and on-site conditions with official sources or in person before you go.