Guanyin Grassland Sand Dunes Introduction
The popular attraction that once caused a sensation on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is the Caoshan Sand Dunes. Stretching 8.1 kilometers, this unique landscape known as the "coastal desert" is the most extensive and intact coastal feature in Taiwan. Each evening at sunset, rows of wind turbines stand tall, the sandy beach seamlessly merges with the sea, and on the undulating sand dunes, intricate patterns of sand intertwine with footprints, creating a serene yet desolate beauty that attracts numerous photographers and influencers. The movie "Secret" and the TV series "Policing Officers" were filmed here. Following Route 61, visitors can take a scenic journey from north to south, exploring the four major ecological highlights in Taoyuan: Cixugang Wetland, Caoshan Sand Dunes, Guansin Coral Reef, and Xinhou Stone Weir. Nicknamed the "Taiwanese Sahara Desert," the Caoshan Sand Dunes were formed by strong northeast monsoons and the accumulation of drifting sand from the south. The dune complex stretches from the mouth of the Laojie River in Dayuan District to the mouth of the Dajue River in Guanyin District, oriented northeast-southwest, with a width of about 400 meters in the northern section, expanding to 600 meters in the south, covering an area of 4 square kilometers over the centuries. The dunes can reach heights of up to 15 meters; climbing to the ridge top in a zig-zag pattern rewards visitors with expansive views. The Taiwan Environmental Information Association has designated the Caoshan Sand Dunes coast as one of the "Nine Coastal Areas Worth Protecting in Taiwan" (with another selected area in Taoyuan being the Guansin Coral Reef), highlighting its status as a rare untouched coastline in northern Taiwan. The Caoshan Sand Dunes also feature coral reef ecology and rich coastal forest ecology, inhabited by salt-resistant windbreak plants such as Casuarina, bitter neem, dodder, castor bean, and Tithonia diversifolia, which help prevent sand drift and coastal erosion, adding a green scenery along the sand dunes.
