Birdwatching doesn’t have to mean waiting in one spot. Head to Tainan’s “Sicao Green Tunnel” and take a bamboo raft along the waterways to effortlessly enjoy the mangroves and wild birds in this wildlife reserve – it’s like an exciting ecological classroom, perfect for family trips.
The Sicao Green Tunnel is made up of species such as nipa palm, Kandelia obovata, Lumnitzera racemosa, and Avicennia marina. It’s the only place in Taiwan where you can see all four types of mangrove in one spot. The dense greenery forms a tunnel-like canopy, earning it the nickname “pocket-sized Amazon.” Herons and kingfishers occasionally make appearances, while many migratory birds visit for the winter. Mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and beach fleas are the permanent residents.
According to tour guide Weng Ming-jiao, these days public infrastructure projects often rely on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) models, but actually, the Sicao Green Tunnel is the earliest example of one. In the Qing Dynasty, merchants from the provincial capital invested in building an artificial canal to facilitate cargo transport. At that time, the canal was as wide as 1 kilometer, until the Japanese colonial period when it gradually silted up. Now part of it has become a fish farm.
Within just under 200 meters of waterway, aside from the flora and fauna, there are also cultural and historical sites to explore, including the ruins of a Dutch-era sea fortress and the Qing Dynasty customs office known as the “Gold Bureau.” You can also visit the nearby “Sicao Dazhong Temple” by the bamboo raft dock, which enshrines the God of the Sea, General Zhenhai, and is full of legendary tales.