Budai Salt Fields Introduction
The southwestern coast of Taiwan has long been an excellent salt production area due to its flat sandy shores and strong sunlight. Budai possesses unique geographical conditions and has a long history of salt farming, dating back to the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, over two hundred years ago. Salt fields began to be developed in Budai during the Qianlong era, and by the third year of the Daoguang period, the wealthy salt merchant Wu Shangxin expanded the salt fields, laying the foundation for the future salt industry in Budai. During the Japanese colonial period, Budai's salt production became more mature, making Budai Harbor an important port for salt transportation, exporting salt to China and Japan. The white salt fields once held a "platinum" level status in industry, but like other regions, salt farming has almost entirely been replaced by mechanized salt production, leading to the decline of Budai's salt industry. The large salt fields no longer see the scenes of salt drying and harvesting, and the small trains that once traversed the salt fields have long been retired. The Budai salt fields are not limited to Budai Township; in fact, the entire salt production area extends across the coastal regions of Chiayi County, including Dongshi Township, Budai Township, and Yizhu Township. Roughly dividing the area, it stretches from west of Provincial Highway 17 to the coastline, from the northern Zhuangtan Operations Office to the southern Xinyuan Operations Office, managing about ten production zones. The idle salt flats between Provincial Highway 17 and Provincial Highway 61 are connected to the Haomelia Ecological Protection Area, becoming a crucial foraging ground for herons and migratory birds wintering in Taiwan, as well as an excellent spot for birdwatching. All the salt fields in Budai Township are owned by Taiwan Salt, which was once the largest salt field in Taiwan. In the past, traveling south along Provincial Highway 17, one would see the scenery of salt fields on both sides, with neatly arranged white salt ponds sparkling in the light, and snow-white salt mountains rising like small snow-capped mountains from the ground, creating a unique industrial landscape.
