Dongsha Atoll National Park

Dongsha Atoll National Park

Dongsha Atoll National Park is the seventh large-scale park and the first marine park in the Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior's Construction and Planning Agency and was established on January 17, 2007. The park includes Dongsha Island in the South China Sea, its surrounding atoll, and nearby waters, covering a total area of 353,667.95 hectares, with a land area of 174 hectares, and the remaining portion being marine area. It is currently the largest park in Taiwan by total area. The park mainly consists of Dongsha Island and a circular atoll with a diameter of 25 kilometers that encompasses the island. It has a tropical monsoon climate and is located 445 kilometers from Kaohsiung Harbor.

The Dongsha Atoll features a complete range of terrain types, including reef flats, lagoons, sandbars, shoals, channels, and islands, making it a classic atoll formation. The seaweed around Dongsha Island belongs to tropical varieties and shares greater similarities with those found in the northern waters of the Philippines, while showing slight differences from the seaweed in southern Taiwan. In terms of fauna, in addition to coral, there are also crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, and other invertebrates, as well as fish. Compared to the marine life, the variety of flora and fauna on Dongsha Island itself is relatively sparse, with animals mainly consisting of snails, crabs, insects, and spiders—many of which are rare species.

Dongsha Island has served as a shelter harbor for ships in the South China Sea since ancient times. In modern times, due to its strategic location, it has long been garrisoned by military forces, giving it a fortified, wartime character. The island also features cultural heritage sites and some man-made landmarks, including the Dongsha Site, the South China Sea Barrier Monument, the Han Frontier Tang Soil Monument, the Dongsha Island Monument, the Dongsha Spirit Fortress, and the Dongsha Cadastral Survey Monument.

Dongsha Marine National Park

Must-visit reason: The largest park in Taiwan by total area

Cijin District [Qijin District]