Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) yesterday pledged to quickly repair the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields (井仔腳瓦盤鹽田) in Tainan and hold a series of events to promote tourism in the nation’s southwest, after Typhoon Danas caused serious damage in the area earlier this month.
Chen made the announcement during a trip to Tainan, which was attended by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) and Lin I-chin (林宜瑾), as well as Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) and Highway Administration Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山).
The salt fields in Tainan’s Beimen District (北門) are the first and oldest tile-paved salt fields in the area. Established in 1818, they were designated a historic site in 2009.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
The Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration has reshaped the site into a cultural tourism spot to highlight the salt industry, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
When Typhoon Danas made landfall in Taiwan on July 6, Beimen endured sustained winds exceeding level 14 on the Beaufort scale for more than three hours.
As a result, the salt-drying areas and tourism facilities were severely damaged, disrupting visitor access to the site, the ministry said.
Repairing the water pumps to restore the seawater drainage system in the salt fields is a priority to help restart salt production as quickly as possible, the Tourism Administration said.
Restoration of visitor service facilities within the park — including pavilions, viewing platforms, public restrooms and temporary vendor areas — is expected to be completed by the end of October, with estimated repair costs of about NT$7 million (US$237,103), it said.
As the salt fields are a historic site, any major restoration work must comply with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法), which requires that a restoration plan be submitted and approved by the Tainan Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage before large-scale repairs can proceed.
The salt fields help promote environmental education, green and low-carbon tourism, the ministry said, adding that the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration organizes religious and cultural tourism events at the site as part of its sustainability efforts.
In the past few years, the site has received numerous accolades, including the “Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories” award from Green Destinations, the “Green Destinations Story Award” at the International Tourism Exchange Berlin and the “Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Award” from the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, the ministry said.
This year, it was again honored with the “2025 Taiwan Sustainable Tourism Award — Bronze Award for Sustainable Tourism Destinations,” it said.
To revitalize tourism in the area, the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration is to launch several major events, including the “Salt and Light Sculptures Art Season” (from next month to November), a series of “Slow Travel Cycling Tours” across Yunlin and Chiayi counties and Tainan (from September to November) and the “Taiwan International Bird Watching Marathon” (from November through March next year), the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration is next month to host the “Chill Summer Series” and “Butterfly Wonderland” activities, it said.
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