By MOOK Travel Life Net’s Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
The first sunrise on Taiwan’s main island in 2014 will fall on Sanxiantai in Chenggong Township, Taitung County at 6:35 AM on January 1. To welcome the arrival of the dawn, the Eastern Coastal National Scenic Area Administration has specially invited skilled “dawn hunters” to set out from the Sanxiantai Recreation Area in Chenggong, Taitung, to go out to sea and capture the first ray of happy, successful sunlight for visitors.
Want to take the Dawn Train to greet the first sunrise of 2014? Don’t forget to grab your tickets on December 17th. (Image provided by the Eastern Coastal National Scenic Area Administration)
The first sunrise on Taiwan’s main island in 2014 will occur at 6:35 AM on January 1 on Sanxiantai in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. To welcome the dawn, the Eastern Coastal Administration has specially arranged highly skilled sailfish harpooners to help everyone catch the sunrise. Harpooning sailfish is a uniquely distinctive fishing technique on the East Coast. From winter to early spring each year when the northeast monsoon begins to blow, sailfish migrate closer to the eastern waters along the Kuroshio Current, prompting the harpooners to gear up. This period also happens to be the best season to savor the rich flavor of sailfish. These harpooners, who battle the sea daily, are among the most frequent witnesses and the earliest to greet the dawn. At the break of dawn on New Year’s Day morning, as soon as the sunlight appears on the sea horizon, the harpooners offshore will be the first to capture the light and transmit it back to the event site, allowing visitors at Sanxiantai to be the first in all of Taiwan to welcome the new day's dawn.
Wu Zhif (phonetic), Secretary of the Eastern Coastal Administration, said that the over 300-kilometer stretch along the East Coast offers various spots to greet the dawn. Sanxiantai, made up of offshore islets and coral reef coastlines, together with the wave-shaped Eight-Arch Bridge, forms an extremely famous dawn-welcoming landmark on the East Coast. On New Year’s Day, the Eastern Coastal Administration has also arranged several exciting activities at the Sanxiantai Recreation Area. The event will kick off at 4:00 AM with a Dawn Market. In addition to band performances, a stunning “Light & Sea” show will be staged using the natural landscape, and the Amis Gaguen Band will perform traditional Amis beauty through “percussion,” resonating with the arrival of the first sunrise on the island. After welcoming the dawn, visitors can head to the pavilion on Sanxiantai Island to ring the “Flag Hopes Success” bell and make a New Year’s wish. The Eastern Coastal Administration has also specially printed limited-edition “Happiness from Sanxiantai” postcards. By donating two valid invoice stubs, visitors can write their blessings for family and friends, and the administration will send them out for free.
In addition, the Eastern Coastal Administration, in collaboration with the Taiwan Railways Administration, the Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau, and the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation, has jointly launched the cross-year “2013–2014 Love You for a Lifetime ~ Harbor Sunset, Sanxiantai Dawn” dawn cruise train tour itinerary. Departing from Douliu Station at 2:05 PM on December 31, arriving at Kaohsiung Station at 4:15 PM, followed by a free day, then departing from Kaohsiung Station to Sanxiantai, Taitung at 1:30 AM on January 1. The Dawn Cruise Train will begin accepting reservations via phone and online starting at 10:00 AM on December 17. Ticket prices are NT$1,288 for regular fare and NT$888 for discounted fare. Participants will also receive a limited-edition 2014 Sanxiantai New Year’s Event commemorative iPASS card, specially produced by the Eastern Coastal Administration.
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