Budai Salt Field (Budai Salt Mountain) Introduction
Budai began developing salt fields during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. By the third year of Daoguang, wealthy salt merchant Wu Shangxin further expanded the salt fields, establishing a foundation for the salt industry in Budai. During the Japanese colonial period, Budai's salt fields matured, turning Budai Port into an important port for salt trade, exporting salt to China and Japan. The white salt fields once held a "platinum" level of industrial status. Like other regions' salt fields, salt workers have largely been replaced by mechanized salt production, leading to a decline in Budai's salt industry. The vast salt fields now lack the scenes of salt harvesting and drying, and the small train that once traversed the salt fields has long been retired. The entrance sign to the Budai Salt Mountain, titled "Millennium Budai," is a work designed by internationally renowned sculptor Li Liang-ren, who spent two months on the design and returned multiple times to his hometown of Budai to infuse his creativity with its history and memories. The nearly seven-meter tall piece, with a base width of five meters, is composed of waves, a hand in the shape of a sail, and streamlined wings made from bronze plates. It symbolizes the ocean, sunlight, passion, and life, and features abstract representations of Budai's specialties such as fish, salt, oysters, and crabs. It also includes the sun, which crystallizes seawater into salt, and the interplay of light and shadow created by the work itself infinitely extends the viewer's imagination and perspective. (Source: Newidea Issue 190, Written by Wu De-liang) Taiwan Salt Biotech Plant No. 3
