Taiwan is surrounded by water and has a coastline stretching over 1,100 kilometers with a tremendous range of coastal landscapes. The coastal areas in Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan are categorized as flat sandy beaches formed from river alluvium deposits, where sandbars, lagoons, and estuary wetlands are commonly seen. The sandy coast landforms, while not as awe-inspiring as the rocky cliffs on the east coast, offer their own peaceful and pleasant beauty for people to admire—especially at sunset, when the clouds over the beach are painted red by the glorious rays of the setting sun, forming a spectacular crepuscular scene that entrances visitors.
Over the past century, pioneers on the southwest coast (Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan) have imbued the area with cultural charm through land reclamation and crop cultivation. The nutrient-rich sediment carried from upstream has endowed the coastal areas with abundant fishery resources, encouraging most local residents to make their living through fishing and fish farming. In addition, the southwest coast’s abundant sunlight and flat terrain make it an ideal site for the production of sun-dried salt, and it is home to Taiwan’s major salt fields. Moreover, the area’s sandbars, lagoons, and other wetlands have maintained great bio-diversity of flora and fauna and preserved rich ecological resources. These cultural activities, historic sites, natural ecological characteristics, and geographical landscapes constitute the area’s unique tourism and recreation resources.
The recreation sites in this scenic area can be divided into three major systems—Yun-chia, Nanying, and Taijiang—based on their locations, resource characteristics, and activity types. The Yun-chia system is located in Yunlin County and Chiayi County, in the northern part of the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area. This system is known for its unique geographical landscape of offshore sandbars, fishing harbors, wetlands, and historic temples. The Nanying system is located in Tainan City, which is the central part of the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area. It contains a variety of attractive sites, including geographical landscapes such as lagoons and sandbars, ecological attractions such as black-faced spoonbills and mangrove ecosystems, salt-field-related activities, temples, and coastal recreation sites. The Taijiang system is located in Tainan City’s Annan District and is the southernmost part of the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area. Its tourism and recreational activities focus on visits to historic sites and nature observation within the Sicao Wetlands.