Budai Wetland Ecological Park (formerly South Budai Wetland) Introduction
The Southern Budai Wetland is located in the idle salt fields south of the urban area of Budai Township, Chiayi County. It was once the site of the sixth area of the Budai Salt Field, covering a total area (including the lagoon water area) of approximately 1,385 hectares. To the north, it is adjacent to the West Coast Highway and Zanliao River; to the east, it borders Provincial Highway 17 and Budai Junior High School; to the south, it spans the Longong River to Provincial Highway 17; and to the west, it is bounded by the lagoon water area. Centuries ago, the Southern Budai Wetland was originally a shallow lagoon area in the Dongfeng Inner Sea (now the remaining Haomei Lagoon). Later, due to the reclamation by early settlers, it became a fish farm. In the 1930s, under Japanese rule, due to the demand for salt, which was referred to as the "mother of industry," the government enforced the expropriation of private fish farms to develop salt fields. After the end of Japanese rule, during the 1950s and 60s, the salt production industry once created a "platinum era" for the southwestern coastal area of Taiwan. However, with changes in Taiwan's social and economic structure, the salt industry could not withstand global competition resulting from the open import of salt products, which led Taiwan Salt Corporation to announce the cessation of all salt field operations in 2002, marking the end of the development of the salt industry in Taiwan. Today, the abandoned salt fields, after many years of neglect, have become a wetland paradise attracting large numbers of migratory birds due to years of erosion and dilution by rainwater, along with environmental factors such as land subsidence caused by excessive groundwater extraction. Particularly from September to the following April, this area is one of the most important habitats for wild birds on the southwestern coast. In the Southern Budai Wetland, various bird species, including the Black-faced Spoonbill, White Spoonbill, and Black-headed Gull, can be observed, and the rich biodiversity here is worth exploring.
