Guanyin Grassland Sand Dunes Introduction
The popular attraction that has caused a sensation on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook is the Caoshan Sand Dunes, a unique landscape known as the "coastal desert," stretching 8.1 kilometers. It is the most extensive and intact coastal feature in Taiwan. As the sun sets, rows of wind turbines stand tall, the sandy shore meets the sea in a line, and on the undulating sand dunes, intertwined footprints create a sense of quiet desolation and beauty, attracting many photographers and influencers to capture its essence. The movie "Secret" and the TV series "Police Officer" have both filmed scenes here. Following the Taiwan Highway 61, visitors can enjoy a journey from north to south through the four major ecological highlights of Taoyuan: Ciaotou Harbor Wetland, Caoshan Sand Dunes, Guanyin New Algal Reefs, and Xinhui Stone Weir. Known as the "Taiwanese Sahara Desert," the Caoshan Sand Dunes formed from the accumulation of sand carried by strong northeast monsoons and south winds. The dune area stretches from the mouth of Laojiek Creek in Dayuan District in the north to the mouth of Daju Creek in the Guanyin District in the south, oriented from northeast to southwest, with the northern section approximately 400 meters wide and widening to 600 meters in the south, covering an area of 4 square kilometers over thousands of years. The dunes can reach heights of up to 15 meters, and a challenging climb to the ridge's peak rewards you with breathtaking panoramic views. The Taiwan Environmental Information Association has selected the Caoshan Sand Dunes coastline as one of the "Top Nine Coastal Lines Worth Protecting" in Taiwan (the other site in Taoyuan is the Guanyin New Algal Reefs), marking it as a rare coastal area in northern Taiwan that has not been damaged by human activities. The Caoshan Sand Dunes host coral reef ecosystems and rich coastal forest ecosystems, including salt-resistant windbreak plants such as Acacia confusa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Melia azedarach, and Ricinus communis, which help block wind and sand, preventing coastal erosion, while also adding a green landscape along the dunes.
