The administration office of Taijiang National Park (台江國家公園) in Tainan, one of Taiwan’s nine national parks, was on Wednesday officially launched, as it diplayed art installations featuring oyster shells and driftwood.
The office and a visitor information center for the park, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, cover an area of 6.6 hectares, the park administration office said.
The administration office and the visitor center are to be composed of a total of 15 buildings along the Tainan coast. The new structures are to cost about NT$265 million (US$7.84 million), the park said.
Photo: CNA
Wednesday’s ceremony was hosted by Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) and attended by Tainan officials, it added.
The exterior of the office is decorated with art installations made of oyster shells and driftwood.
The oyster shells embedded on top of the roof will help reduce temperatures inside by 3oC or 4oC, while the driftwood can attract birds to nest, the park said.
Launched in 2009, the coastal park has a total area of 39,310 hectares, with land accounting for 4,905 hectares and the marine area accounting for 34,405 hectares.
The land area features tidal flats, sandbanks and wetlands that provide a habitat for diverse flora and wildlife, including the endangered black-faced spoonbill, the Ministry of the Interior said.
The marine area covers the main shipping route taken by Taiwan’s earliest immigrants from China more than 400 years ago.
The park has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tainan since its establishment.
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