Gaomei Wetlands

The Gaomei Wetlands are about an hour west of central Taichung, on the coast where the Dajia River meets the Taiwan Strait. At low tide, an enormous mudflat is exposed, with crabs, mudskippers, and seabirds. A long wooden boardwalk runs out into the mud and is the standard way to walk in without sinking.

Sunset is the magic hour and the standard time to visit, but it is also when the crowds are heaviest. Get there at least an hour before for the best light. Combine with a quick stop at the Qingshui railway station and the Tatung Distillery on the way back.

things to do sight
A story
The wetland at Gaomei is one of the most important migratory bird sites on the western Taiwanese coast — more than two hundred recorded species — and it sits directly under a row of giant offshore wind turbines, the first to be installed in Taiwan. The combination of mudflats, sunset, and slowly turning blades has made it one of the country's most photographed landscapes.

Other places in Things to Do