Yong'an Wetland Introduction
Yong'an Wetland was formerly known as Wushulin Salt Field, established in 1908, and was an important salt production base in southern Taiwan, witnessing the rise and fall of Taiwan's salt industry. During the Japanese occupation, this area flourished, and in 1952, the Kuomintang government took over and reorganized it as the "Taiwan Salt Manufacturing Company," continuing its development in salt production. However, with industrial transformation in the 1970s, the salt industry gradually declined. In 1985, Taipower acquired the area, planning to use it as an expansion site for Hsingta Power Plant, marking the end of the once-prosperous salt fields in history. The Wushulin Salt Manufacturing Company located within Yong'an Wetland is the most historically valuable building in the area. The office building features a traditional European Dutch Baroque architecture, incorporating some Japanese architectural styles, standing prominently in the center of the abandoned salt flats. However, after the salt fields were abandoned, the building fell into disrepair due to lack of management and high salinity erosion, even becoming a hazardous structure at one point. With the rise in local cultural awareness, Taipower began to pay attention to this historical site and invested in restoration funds in 2006, allowing this century-old building to regain its former appearance, becoming an important historical site witnessing the rise and fall of Taiwan's salt industry. The Wushulin Salt Manufacturing Company has beautifully refined facade and pebble construction dating from the Japanese occupation era to the present. Although the office is long vacant, it still stands amidst the vast salt flats, allowing visitors to feel the historical atmosphere, as if narrating the prosperous past of the salt industry, showcasing its significant historical and cultural value. Yong'an Mangrove Natural Park: A Pathway of Coexistence between Ecology and Human Rights In the past, Yong'an Wetland served as a salt field area but was severely polluted by coal ash after Taipower set up the Hsingta Thermal Power Plant, making salt production impossible. In 1986, Taipower planned to use this area as a coal storage site, but with the intervention of local residents and environmentalists, support from the government was finally obtained, and in 1996, it was established as "Yong'an Mangrove Natural Park." Today, this place not only witnesses Taiwan's industrial transformation but has also become the region with the richest mangrove ecosystem along the coast of Kaohsiung, home to various birds and aquatic life. It serves as an important location for observing natural ecology and promoting environmental education, demonstrating the sustainable value of coexisting with nature. An Ecological Treasure Land Coexisting with Birds Yong'an Wetland boasts a rich mangrove ecosystem, which not only serves to prevent wind and sand, protect riverbanks, and purify water quality, but is also an important habitat for many species. Taiwan's mangrove forests are primarily composed of Avicennia marina, Kandelia obovata, Brugueira gymnorrhiza, and Rhizophora apiculata, with Kandelia obovata and Brugueira gymnorrhiza being more common in the south, forming a diverse ecological green barrier. From October to April, rare migratory birds such as the black-faced spoonbill migrate from the north, peaking in numbers from January to March, making this wetland an important habitat for wintering and foraging. In addition, Yong'an Salt Field, as the largest salt flat wetland in southern Taiwan, attracts over 110 species of birds, including critically endangered species like the black-faced spoonbill, Oriental white stork, and peregrine falcon, as well as endangered species such as the black stork, fish eagle, and little tern. Each spring and autumn, a large number of migratory waders stop here, creating a spectacular bird-watching scene that attracts many nature enthusiasts. Thanks to its rich ecological resources, Yong'an Wetland was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the International Bird Conservation Alliance (IBA) in 1999 and was recognized as a local important wetland by the Ministry of the Interior in 2018. Here, not only does it have lush mangrove green corridors, but it is also a paradise for migratory birds, fully showcasing the vibrant life force of wetland ecology.
