Guanyin Grassland Sand Dunes Introduction
The popular attraction that caused a sensation on social media platforms like IG and FB is the Caoshan Sand Dunes, which stretches 8.1 kilometers of "coastal desert," representing the most extensive and complete geological landscape along Taiwan's coastline. During sunset, rows of wind turbines stand tall, the sandy shore meets the sea in a line, and the undulating sand dunes are interspersed with footprints in wavy sand patterns, creating a tranquil yet desolate beauty that attracts many photography enthusiasts and online influencers. The film "Secret" and the TV drama "Policing the Police" were shot here. Following Highway 61, visitors can enjoy four major ecological highlights of Taoyuan: Ciaotzu Wetland, Caoshan Sand Dunes, Guanshin Coral Reef, and Xinwu Stone Weir, traveling from north to south. Known as the "Taiwanese version of the Sahara Desert," Caoshan Sand Dunes formed from strong northeast monsoons and sands blown inland by the southern winds. The dune cluster starts from the mouth of Laojiek Creek in Dayuan District and stretches to the mouth of Dajue Creek in Guanyin District, oriented northeast-southwest, with a width of about 400 meters in the northern section and expanding to 600 meters in the south, covering an area of 4 square kilometers over the millennia. The dunes can reach a height of 15 meters, and the reward for those who climb to the high points along the zigzag path is an expansive view. The Taiwan Environmental Information Association once selected Caoshan Sand Dunes Coast as one of the "Nine Coastlines Worth Protecting in Taiwan" (another selected site in Taoyuan is Guanshin Coral Reef), making it a rare, human-impact-free coastline in northern Taiwan. The Caoshan Sand Dunes boast coral reef ecosystems and rich coastal forest ecosystems, including salt-tolerant windbreak plants such as Casuarina, Malabar melastome, neem, dodder, castor, and Tithonia diversifolia, which help block windblown sand to prevent coastal erosion and add a green landscape along the dunes.
