The Gaomei Wetland
Part of my Taiwan series.
Picture this: an expansive seafront dotted with wind turbines and huge gusts of salt-laden wind to accompany them. The wet sand is home to thousands of little crabs and snails. You can step off the boardwalk onto the wetlands itself, careful not to get your sneakers too deep. The sun sets, and everything turns golden red. It’s awe-inspiring.
That’s what it feels like at the Gaomei Wetlands in Taichung.
Gaomei was probably my favorite stop on the entirety of my ten day Taiwan trip. As tourist attractions in Taichung go, it’s the most famous (exempting the Rainbow Village). But outside of Taiwan, you might not have heard of it. Here’s my chance to evangelize.
What you need to know before you go
First, even though Taichung was around 70 degrees (21 celsius) that day, the wetlands were cold. The wind swoops in and steals all the warmth. I highly recommend wearing layers. Even during summer, I’d recommend a windbreaker jacket and some hair ties.
So, how to get there? It’s important to know that it’s pretty out of the way. You can see on the map below how far out it is from Taichung’s center.
I got there at around 3pm with my tour, Klook. I chose their all day tour (no affiliate link, I’m too baby for sponsers), which included the famous Miyahara Ice Cream shop and the National Taichung Theater. They also have half day tours for just the Rainbow Village and Gaomei. I would recommend taking a bus tour, actually. Taichung is pretty spread out, and it was so much more convenient to have a driver ready. I actually made a new friend after the tour guide told everyone I live in Korea!
Without a tour, your best bet is to bus it. The most convenient way to get to Gaomei from Taichung Station is to take the 309 shuttle. Other ways to get there include taking the 301, 302, 304, 308 bus, the Fuxing Shuttle (the train), ubering or renting a car. These options range from around an hour to two hours.
Whether summer or winter, I’d recommend getting there around two hours before sunset. This gives you a comfortable two hours to walk around and catch the sunset, which is usually around 5pm in wintertime.
There was quite a crowd nearing dusk. You can walk to the end of the boardwalk and step on to the wetlands itself, which gives you plenty of space to roam.
What’s around
If you get there early and want to pass the time before the sun sets, there’s a string of vendors and toilets on the east strip near the wetlands. There’s also a Visitor’s Center to the south of the boardwalk. A few parking lots are available if you drive, and there’s also a lighthouse to the north open for visitors.
My new friend and I headed over to Xian Chaotian 西安朝天宮, a temple set near the water. We spent a few moments looking around, while she explained how the prayers worked. We didn’t pray though, because then we’d have to come back to thank them, and neither of us had any plans to come back in the near future lol.
Showtime
Around 4-4:30pm, the sun dropped and the sky went pink. My friend and I sat and watched the wind turbines on the water in silence for a while. We also took a bunch of fun photos for the ‘gram.
As always, my pictures can’t do it justice. Watching the sun set on the water was breathtaking.
I hope this convinces you to check it out if you’re in Taiwan!
Thanks for reading.