Ilan, March 12 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian traveled by boat Tuesday to Kueishan Island off the coast of eastern Taiwan for a tour of inspection.
Chen, the first Republic of China president to set foot on the islet, located about 10 kilometers off the Ilan County coast, praised the islet--said by some to resemble a turtle in shape--as an up-and-coming tourist attraction with ecological significance.
A former military base, Kueishan used to be out of bounds to civilians and remained closed to tourists until less than two years ago, when the government designated it as a tourist spot.
Chen exhorted the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to step up campaigns promoting Kueishan to solicit more people to visit the isle.