Haikou Port Introduction
Haikou Port is located in Haikou Village, Checheng Township, Pingtung County. It is a junction where mountains, plains, and the ocean meet. Originally a small fishing port, it gained recognition due to the nearby "Haikou Sand Dunes." After planning, Haikou Port has become one of the important docking ports connecting Pingtung County, Kaohsiung City, and Kaohsiung County as part of the "Blue Highway." The goal is to develop it into a transportation hub for marine recreational activities. The nearby waters have no strong currents, allowing vessels to navigate smoothly. Additionally, its proximity to provincial highways makes transportation very convenient, which are some of the advantages of Haikou Port being chosen as the endpoint of the Blue Ocean Highway. Haikou Port has a visitor center that provides a variety of tourism information about the Hengchun Peninsula. The surrounding facilities in the port area are also well-developed, featuring a waiting room, a resting plaza, sunshade pavilions, and palm tree landscapes. Moreover, a coastal bike path has been constructed between Haikou Port and Fuan Temple, where visitors can enjoy romantic sea views along the way. The Haikou Sand Dunes, commonly known as "Shalun," were formed by the accumulation of windblown sand due to the strong northeast monsoon. It was also referred to as the "Little Sahara Desert" due to the vast desert-like landscape. The dune landscape changes with the seasons, sometimes towering like a mountain, and other times low and flat like a beach. However, due to over-extraction of sand and gravel, the scale of the dunes is no longer what it used to be, which is quite regrettable. Despite the damage to the Haikou Sand Dunes, the nearby beach is very suitable for playing in the sand and water. During low tide, visitors can stroll, build sand sculptures, make sandcastles, play in the waves, and collect shells, all in a leisurely and pleasant manner. For those who prefer to avoid the sun, there is a grove of Casuarina trees near the beach where visitors can take a temporary rest.
