Around 3,000 people were crammed onto the narrow strip of sand. Waves of heat rose above them and Nanwan (南灣) beach in Pingtung County (屏東縣) shimmered in the haze. It was a familiar scene, replayed every summer at popular resorts around the world.
But Nanwan's beach culture is more chaotic, like a maritime night market.
Among the throng splashing in a sparkling blue Pacific Ocean were swimmers and surfers, the occasional kayak and scores of 300kg jet skis hurtling between them. Tractors dragged banana boats out of the surf and quad bikes ridden by lifeguards ploughed up and down the beach.
PHOTOS: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES
Dance music played over distorted speakers, drowning the hubbub of beachgoers, while vendors shouted to make themselves heard. The giant bunkers of Taiwan's Third Nuclear Plant and three wind turbines loomed across the bay.
Chewing betel nut, dragging on a cigarette and relaxing under a colorful umbrella, Chen Sheng-hua (陳聖樺) said there was little beach culture at Nanwan when he returned from his adventures driving taxis in the big smoke of Taipei about five years ago.
Though Taiwan is an island straddling the Tropic of Cancer and bounded by the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, the country has been slow to make the sea its playground. It's Act of Ships (船舶法) allowed it to build the world's seventh largest fishing fleet, but there are few pleasure craft and just two marinas for private yachts.
Equally, it is said, when the Taiwanese were cooking up their economic miracle from 1962 to 1997 (at which point the country's per capita gross national product was on a par with European countries such as Spain and Greece) they didn't have the time nor money to burn at the beach.
Rising incomes and the introduction of a five-day workweek (for civil servants, four years ago this month) have changed all this and there has been a minor social revolution.
A lifesaver and a member of one of the 60 registered families that are permitted to rent out jet skis on Nanwan beach, Chen said there had been an explosion in the number of businesses catering to visitors who enjoyed frolicking on the beach and taking part in water activities.
Casually waving his hand at traffic snaking back on the coastal road behind him, Chen said a lack of infrastructure on the Hengchun (恆春) peninsula was holding back further development. The roads are too narrow, he said, and there are not enough hotels.
Nanwan, which was the busiest beach among those dotted along the southernmost tip of the island during a recent visit, has cashed in on this shift in attitude and is now the country's hot zone for water sports.
Young kids peered into rock pools and fished out marine animals with nets, while grannies carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from getting a tan held onto ropes which marked out areas safe for swimming. Adolescents used a variety of flotation devices to splash around in shallow waters.
Banana boats carrying life belted passengers tore around and tipped their human cargo into the sea at the end of a ride (at NT$200 per person). For NT$500 we took a 30-minute jet ski ride and were allowed to steer our vessel out into the blue yonder, with no training.
Just like a night market, it was cheap and cheerful, unregulated fun, a little bit grimy and there was a “mountainous sea of people” (人山人海).
It was a surprise, therefore, to read in the Taipei Times last week that water quality for beaches in the area was “good.” Given the number of people and level of activity, this seemed too good to be true.
Further research found it was not the whole story, as in previous months water quality levels were considered unsuitable for swimming by the Environmental Protection Administration (visit epa.gov.tw/beach for updates).
The levels of Escherichia coli, which are an indicator of the amount of human fecal matter in the water, vary wildly. But the overall pattern in the past four years shows an increase in the amount of human waste off Kenting (墾丁) area beaches (which includes Nanwan), with spikes in the summer months.
Other water activities were based at the nearby harbor of Houbihu (後壁湖), where trawlers land their catch throughout the day. Japanese tourists, in particular, loved the bustling new market, which was a great spot for cheap but guaranteed fresh sashimi. A souvenir shop sold cuddly fish.
Competition between private operators offering scuba diving on the coral reefs offshore, or snorkeling off platforms from the adjacent Houbihu beach here is fierce. The water visibility is generally good and hawksbill turtles, stingrays and other tropical fish inhabit the area. Diving gear can be rented for NT$1,000 and boat trips for the afternoon or morning cost about NT$700.
Yellow boats with transparent deck sections that allow passengers to view the reefs without getting wet operate out of the harbor (NT$380 per person). You could even take a day-trip to Lanyu (蘭嶼) island for NT$2,500.
For the less adventurous, a short drive away in Checheng (車城) is the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (國立海洋生物博物館), with its underwater whale shark feeding show and a reasonably impressive collection of sea creatures. Adult tickets are NT$450, with concessions for children.
Water-related activities of a more relaxed nature can be found at the hot-spring resort town of Sichunghsi (四重溪), which is tucked away in the picturesque mountains above the coast. Here you could have a long dip in the public baths for NT$200, or hire cubicles by the hour. Hotel rooms are also available.
If the sea is out of bounds because of a typhoon there's no problem finding alternative activities on the peninsula road, from Kenting toward Hengchun (恆春). Shooting ranges compete with go-cart racetracks and horse riding stables for business. There are even helicopter tours, though these are presently in hiatus because of arguments over who controls the airspace over Kenting Forest Recreation Area (墾丁森林遊樂區).
As for surfers, who have led the water-sports revolution in Taiwan, their time has come. In recent months they have been riding a wave of popular acclaim and minor celebrities, like actor Yao Yuan-hao (姚元浩), have been appearing on national TV chat shows lauding the sport's merits.
Beginning this Friday, Taiwan is holding its first international surfing invitation tournament, with the inaugural Kenting Cup. Held at beaches near the town (depending on the waves), there will be three days of surfing, bikini contests, DJ parties and barbecuing. Further details are available at www.kentingsurfshop.com.tw.
According to co-sponsor A-lang (阿郎) — who runs a surf shop in Kenting — the biggest waves, hottest weather and most relaxed lifestyle are found in the south. The typhoon months of July to October bring the best surfing action, he added.
“We have our own style and though foreigners used to be the leaders, we have our own people like Ku Ku and O-ei (黑仔) now, who are among the best surfers in the country,” A-lang said.
Nanwan is a popular public seaside destination, A-lang said, but there are plenty of other nearby beaches and reef points suitable for surfing, many of them rarely visited.
Kenting's outstanding Dawan (大灣) seashore has been leased by the Chateau Beach Resort from the government for 48 years and only hotel guests and locals are allowed to use it, but A-lang said there were whispers that tourists may be able to buy day-passes from next year. Jialeshui (佳樂水) is a beach worth visiting as its well-preserved because the steep sand dunes made it difficult to access. Baisha (白沙) is an attractive, smaller, out-of-the-way beach.
Drive along the coast and you can find your own hot spots, or a tranquil refuge away from the crowds.
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