The disappearing "Waishanding Shoal" tourism boom sees 70% increase in visitors in first half of the year

▲ The disappearing "Waishanding Shoal" tourism boom sees 70% increase in visitors in first half of the year. (Photo / Provided by Chiayi County Government)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Known as the "moving territory," Waishanding Shoal is predicted by students to possibly vanish within 10 years. To catch a glimpse of this disappearing land before it's gone, taking a boat trip to Waishanding Shoal has become one of the most popular tourist routes. According to statistics from the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration, visitor numbers from January to July 2014 increased by 70% compared to the same period in 2013, and by over 100% compared to the same period in 2012.

According to the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration, the number of visitors landing on Waishanding Shoal from July to December 2013 was about 68,000, an increase of approximately 60% compared to the same period in 2012. From January to July 2014, the number reached around 95,000, showing an increase of about 70% compared to the same period in 2013, and over 126% compared to 2012. The number of recreational fishing boats in the Chiayi area also rose from 12 in 2012 to 18 in 2014 (including the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan small boat).

The Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration has been actively promoting tourism along the southwestern coast. Last year, it organized four summer sea sunset viewing events on Waishanding Shoal. Coupled with promotional efforts by other agencies, visitor numbers to the shoal have significantly increased, and the number of recreational fishing boats in the Chiayi area has also grown to 18.

However, Zheng Rongzhe, director of the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Scenic Area Administration, explained that most tourists currently visit Waishanding Shoal in the morning and leave by noon, and only a small number stay for the sunset. When visitor numbers are low, it is difficult to operate the boats cost-effectively. Therefore, starting this year in July, a regular scheduled boat service departs from Dongshi Fishing Harbor, with an average of about 23 visitors per trip each week.

Waishanding Shoal is the largest sandbank along Taiwan’s coast and is named for its umbrella-like shape. Administratively, it belongs to Kouhu Township in Yunlin County. Influenced by waves, coastal currents, and the northeast monsoon, the shoal drifts southwestward by an average of 60 to 70 meters per year, hence its nickname "the moving territory." It is now mostly located about 10-plus kilometers off the coast of Dongshi Township in Chiayi County, primarily formed by sediment deposits from the Zhuoshui River. In recent years, due to the construction of sand-blocking dams in the river, the supply of sand has decreased, and strong erosion from the northeast monsoon has caused the accumulated sand on the shoal to be gradually washed away toward the lower-lying oyster ponds to the east. As a result, the area of the shoal has been shrinking, transforming the "moving territory" into a "disappearing territory."