Guanshan Coral Reef Ecological Reserve Introduction
What does time look like? Standing in front of the Guanshin Coral Reef, the largest algal reef in Taiwan, the ecological masterpiece formed by a thousand years of time is truly shocking, and it makes us deeply aware of humanity's insignificance. Covering an area of approximately 370 hectares, Guanshin Coral Reef is a "plant reef" formed by non-segmented coralline algae that die and calcify, accumulating on the gravel beach to form limestone reefs. It takes an average of 10 years to generate just 1 centimeter. The algal reef cluster in Taoyuan once stretched from Dayuan and Guanyin to Xinxing, but due to the development of coastal industrial areas, it has now been reduced from 27 kilometers to only about 5 kilometers. To protect this 4,000-year-old marine treasure, the "Taoyuan Guanshin Coral Reef Ecosystem Wildlife Sanctuary" was designated in 2014, becoming a classroom without walls for understanding the algal reef environment. The annual "Love Taoyuan Algal Reef Thousand-Person Hiking" event also encourages the public to actively care for this coast. The Guanshin Coral Reef is located along the coast from the southern part of Xiaofanli River in Guanyin District to the northern mouth of Hohukeng in Xinxing District. Besides being amazed by this precious millennium landscape, the rich biodiversity is also one of the highlights of Guanshin Coral Reef; currently, 10 species of algae and 129 species of animals have been discovered, with animal density five times that of the Gao Mei Wetlands and eight times that of the Xiangshan Wetlands, resembling a marine ecological museum in northern Taiwan. Guanshin Coral Reef is divided into core areas, buffer zones, and sustainable use areas. Whenever the tide recedes, the reef emerges above the sea surface, where a variety of coastal organisms such as algae, fish, shrimp, and mollusks can be found in the intertidal zone. Walking along the wooden walkway can lead to the mangrove education zone, where you can closely observe mudskippers and fiddler crabs. Recommended nearby attractions include the century-old stone weirs in Xinxing, the Guanyin Caoshuo dunes, and the Xucuo Harbor wetlands, showcasing the four major highlights of Taoyuan's coastal line.
