Taijiang National ParkTaijiang National Park

The Black-faced Spoonbill is an endangered bird species with a global population of less than 3,000. The primary winter habitat for the Black-faced Spoonbill's largest population segment is the Taijiang area, with an average of over 1,000 Black-faced Spoonbills counted in recent winters, which could well be half of the global population of Black-faced Spoonbills. This has made Taijiang the center of global attention. The Black-faced Spoonbill forages for food more regularly before its return to the north in spring; it can sometimes be spotted wading around in roadside fish farming ponds during the fallow period if the water level permits. Black-faced Spoonbills are crepuscular, and prefer to rest in large flocks in open and undisturbed coastal areas or fish farming ponds during the day. During flight, its neck is fully extended and its gracefulness has earned it the name of “Black-faced Dancer”. The Black-faced Spoonbill forages in small groups, and sweeps its partly opened bill from side to side as it forages for small fish and shrimp. The Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Area is an estuarine wetland with an area of about 300 hectares. It was set aside to protect the wild birds of Zengwen Estuary and their natural habitat. The Black-faced Spoonbill Birdwatching Pavilion is opened to birdwatchers every winter season. The resting area features a high-powered binocular and camera; in addition to facilitating birdwatching, the camera also uploads real-time photos to the internet. For those who would like to learn more about Black-faced Spoonbills, please note that volunteers will be on-site to share their knowledge about the Black-faced Spoonbill each year, starting from October to March of the following year.

Situated at the southern tip of Beishanwei Island in the inner sea of old Taijiang, this temple is devoted to “Martial Zhenhai”. His name was Chen You, and was said to have been a fearless warrior who won numerous victories. Qianlong Emperor conferred him the posthumous title of “Martial Zhenhai”. To date, the temple has over 300 years of history, and is a religious center of the local residents.

Luermen Matsu statue verified by experts to be over 800 years old Third reconstruction of the largest Matsu Temple in Taiwan Tainan is the oldest city of Taiwan, and its former name, Tayouan, has been claimed to be the origin of the name "Taiwan". The story of Tainan begins with the arrival of Koxinga at Luermen Island. The Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple of Tainan originated in the 16th century, and was built to worship Luermen Matsu. According to legend, in 1661 (15th year of Yungli, Ming Dynasty), Luermen Matsu aided Koxinga in his landing at Luermen. The Dutch had sunk obstacles along the shore of Luermen to prevent any enemies from landing, but when Koxinga arrived the waters miraculously rose several feet and Koxinga was able to secure his victory against the Dutch. Koxinga built a temple in honor of Luermen Matsu to show his gratitude for the Goddess’s help, and honored the Goddess as the “Protector of Ships”, “Wuguan Matsu” and “Guosheng Matsu”. Luermen Island was gradually regarded as the gateway to Taiwan and Tainan became a major military and commercial town, while Luermen Matsu gained more followers and rose in popularity with the occurrence of repeated miracles. In July 1831 (11th year of Daoguang, Qing Dynasty), Zengwen River burst its banks and the temple was destroyed. The statues within the temple were relocated to the Sanjiao Hai’an Temple. In 1918, the second Matsu Temple was rebuilt and over 70 deities returned to the temple. In 1975, the second temple could not cope with the overwhelming number of devotees who came to pay their respects, and the Matsu Temple was reconstructed a third time after obtaining the consent of the Goddess, and was formally named the “Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple” to honor its origin as the Ancient Shaoyanjing Luermen Matsu from the Ming Dynasty. The Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple is the only temple in Taiwan to house a Luermen Matsu with over 800 years of history, and is also the grandest Matsu Temple (in terms of land area) in Taiwan. In 1913 (2nd year of the Taisho Period, Japan), a King Boat carrying the Wufu Chiensui (aka ‘Five Royal Lords’) that was released by Fumei Temple of China’s Quanzhou Province braved the perilous waters of the Taiwan Strait and arrived at the shores of Tucheng (located in Annan District of Tainan City). Upon consulting the Goddess Matsu, locals learned that the Five Royal Lords had been invited by the Goddess to come bless the people. Upon hearing it, the people of Tucheng joyfully built a temple devoted to the Five Royal Lords. In 1916 (5th year of the Taisho Period, Japan), the locals invited Luermen Matsu to return to the newly built temple along with over 70 other deities that had previously been relocated to Sanjiao Zhengang Hai’an Temple when the first temple was destroyed by the flood. Construction of the second temple was finally completed in 1918 (7th year of the Taisho Period, Japan). It was originally named “Bao’an Temple”, and was only renamed as the “Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple” in 2005. Construction of the third temple was finally completed in 1981, thanks to the divine blessing of the Goddess Matsu. The temple is comprised of the Hall of the Five Royal Lords, Hall of the Goddess Matsu, Hall of the Buddha, Hall of Guanyin, and the Hall of the Jade Emperor. It is modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, and covers an area of over 20,000 ping (about 66,116 sqm). The temple hosts a series of spring carnival activities each year, starting from the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. On the second Saturday after the new year, the temple organizes high-altitude firework displays, lighting beehive firecrackers, and the “welcoming the spring cattle” event, attracting the participation of countless people. Over 300,000 people turn up for the events each year. The Goddess’s birthday falls on 23rd of March of the Lunar calendar, during which the Goddess gives away rice for free to those in need, and treats visitors to free milkfish cuisine. The temple also houses the “Yuelao Deity (God of Love and Marriage)”, who has successfully brought together over 20,000 couples. Every three years, the temple holds a “Tucheng Hsiang Jiao (a celebratory ritual)” to commemorate its establishment, which occurs during the year of the Ox, Dragon, Sheep and Dog; this large-scale event has been listed as a city-level cultural asset. The temple also provides Fortune Money, an Artifact Museum, a Cultural Creative Corner, and a Pilgrim’s Lodge. Its efforts in promoting the local culture, tourism industry, cuisine, and its contributions to recreation and charity, has made the Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple the very top of visitors’ must-see attractions in Tainan. (Text and Image courtesy of the Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple)

Luermen Matsu Temple was built in 1661 (15th year of Yungli, Ming Dynasty) to mark the spot where Koxinga made his landing in Taiwan. The temple houses the very statue of Luermen Matsu that Koxinga prayed to aboard his ship for a successful landing. The temple is now a famous tourist attraction. Records of the temple existed as far back as the early Qing Dynasty – it appeared in a “Map of Ancient Taiwan during the reign of Kangxi Emperor”, and was denoted by the Chinese characters “媽宮 (Ma Gong Temple)”, which was a term commonly used during the Ming Dynasty to refer to temples devoted to the Goddess Matsu. The Matsu Temple Community of Hsiengong Village, Annan District, Tainan City, is named after the Luermen Matsu Temple.         According to evidence and research, the Ming-style carving and regalia worn by Luermen Matsu strongly suggests that the statue was created during the Ming Dynasty, such as the “Shoulder-breadth Phoenix Headdress” worn by imperial consorts during the Ming Dynasty, the through-carved, adjustable and detachable “Mao Chi (two wing-like flaps of thin, oval shaped boards on each side of the headdress)”, “Cloud Shoulders”, “Gold Embroidered Dragon Robes”, “You Ren (where the lapels of the upper garment are overlaid to the right)”, the Ming-style throne, cinnabar paint, the “Ruyi” seating position, the face of a Bodhisattva, and the “Heavenly Consort” hairstyle. The statue is carved from 1000-year rosewood, and the dragon on the dragon robe has emerald inlays for eyes. The throne of the Goddess features branches, leaves, and eight lions – all carved from the same piece of wood, and is a national treasure. In the olden days, the statue had its own precious casing, which attests to the claim that Koxinga built the temple in honor of the Goddess Matsu. The Ming Official-style statue of the Goddess Matsu originated from the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty during the era of Admiral Zheng He; the Qiantang Matsu Temple features text written by Admiral Zheng He himself, detailing how the Goddess helped him to win battles in Southeast Asia. Emperor Yongle commissioned a temple to be built in honor of the Goddess Matsu in southern Longjiang (Zheng He’s hometown), and that Spring and Autumn rituals would be held to honor the Goddess. This explains the origin of the Ming Official-style statue of the Goddess Matsu. Zheng He and Koxinga were relatives, and their respective decisions to embark on Ming Treasure Voyages in the South China Sea and cross the Taiwan Strait were great achievements of their era. This was why Koxinga decided to call upon the help of the Goddess Matsu in Zheng He’s hometown to aid him in his expedition to Taiwan.         The “Temple Notes” section from Volume 9 of Chen Wen-da’s “Taiwan County Chronicle” published in 1720 reads: “Chinese officials donated their salary to build the Matsu Temple in Luermen in 1719. The front hall is devoted to the worship of the Goddess Matsu, the Rear Hall is devoted to the worship of the Goddess Guanyin. Both halls are covered with pavilion roofs, and six rooms are built on either side of the temple to house monks who take care of the temple grounds…”. This is by far the earliest historical record. Subsequent entries include: “The temple was rebuilt by Division Commander Aisintai in 1801 (5th year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing). The temple was rebuilt in 1856 (5th year of the reign of Emperor Xianfeng) by Taiwan Division Commander Shao Lian-ke and various officials such as Tseng Yuan-fu, together with donations from merchants including the three great merchants (Su Wan-li, Jin Yong-shun, and Li Sheng-xing). The statue of the Goddess Matsu was temporarily relocated to the house of a civilian in 1871 (10th year of the reign of Emperor Tongzhi) when Zengwen River changed its course and destroyed the temple. The temple was rebuilt in 1946, and again in 1977, which is how it appears today. Its full name is the “Luermen Matsu Temple”.”   (Text and Image courtesy of the Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple)  

The wetlands are at the mouth of Yanshui River. In the last few years intermediate white egrets have bred in the coastal area of Taiwan’s southwest and established a new colony. Great egrets and intermediate egrets have also been seen nesting in the mangrove swap at the mouth of the Yanshui River. Issue 58 of Journal of the National Taiwan Museum reported the discovery of a new species of clam in the river mouth.

The saltworks began production in 1919. The salt was transported via a small railway nearby that went to Yongkang. A canal was also used to transport the salt to the ships that would transport it to destinations in Taiwan and Japan. It closed in 1994.

The reserve occupies country owned land inside the old and new sea wall, and covers an area of around 300 hectares. It has a variety of river mouth ecosystems and attracts a large number and variety of migratory birds. Every year in September black-faced spoonbills begin to arrive here from the north, returning north in March.

Built in 1662, this temple is the only Fujian style temple in Taiwan. It is also called Yanping Junwang Temple and used to be known as Kai Shan Sheng Gong Temple.

The Luermen sunset has been renowned for hundreds of years. From in front of Zhenmen Temple the sun can be watched as it sets over the river, the returning fishing boats, the bamboo rafts and the oyster frames.