When traveling to Hengchun Township in Pingtung County, the southernmost part of Taiwan, many tourists will choose to go to Kenting Park. This park is so large that it covers almost all the natural landscapes on the Hengchun Peninsula. One of the "wind-blown sand" attractions is often talked about by locals and recommended to tourists. When you arrive at the scenic spot, you will find that the wind and sand in Kenting are like a pair of twin brothers.
The wind blows the sand, the name is very common. It is located on the side of the newly built road around the east coast of Hengchun Peninsula. This road connects two other scenic spots, Jiale Water and Eluanbi. The locals also call this road "Jia'e Road". The map is marked as "Taiwan Route 26 Highway". The wind blowing sand scenic spot is located in the middle of the "Jia'e Highway", about 7 kilometers away from the Eluanbi scenic spot.
To the east of Jia'e Highway is the vast Pacific Ocean, and to the west is the undulating Longpan alpine meadow. The difference between the road surface and the beach is about 100 meters, and the lowest point is also 20 to 30 meters. Therefore, driving on the road and looking at the blue Pacific Ocean to the east has no visual barriers. The wind blowing sand scenic spot is located at a corner of the road, and there is no special sign, but there is a small mud platform built on the side of the road near the sea, which can also be regarded as a viewing platform, which can park seven or eight cars.
From this platform, you can overlook the entire Hengchun semi-circular bay. When the sea water in the distance hits the beach, it leaves a clear white band, which is the foam splashed by the waves. The vertical height between the viewing platform and the beach is about 80 meters, which is very steep. Visitors can clearly see the dry mud ditches on the cliff, extending from the bottom of the parking platform to the beach. There are also courageous people who will walk step by step along the cliff to the beach below.
Most of the cliffs are planted with ephedra grass. It is a herbaceous perennial that is exceptionally drought tolerant and is said to be able to survive six months of zero rainfall with just one adequate rehydration. The root system of ephedra grass can penetrate six to seven meters below the soil, and the root system can hold the soil so that it will not be lost. The local people also said that the purpose of planting ephedra is to fix the sand, otherwise the wind and sand here will cause disasters.
The geology and climate of the Hengchun Peninsula are very special. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and one side is backed by Taiwan's Nanren Mountain, which is also a part of the central mountain range of Taiwan Island. Every year from October to March and April of the next year, the cold wind blowing from the central mountain range carries the mountains down, and when it reaches the Hengchun Peninsula, it becomes the famous "falling mountain wind", which can stir up the sand and dust in Hengchun. sky. Therefore, when residents of Hengchun used to go out in winter, women must wear scarves, while men must wear hats.
The wind blowing sand is an exception. It is located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and the falling mountain wind cannot blow here. Instead, it is the northeast monsoon that blows from the Pacific Ocean in winter, which can be described as powerful. It can move the sand on the seabed or on the beach towards the top of the Longpan meadow. It is said that when the Jia'e Highway was not built before, the sand brought ashore from the sea in one night could cover the dirt road on the shore. Going out the next day, you won't be able to find a way to walk.
To say how powerful the Northeast Monsoon is, you just need to stand on the wind blowing sand viewing platform to see that there is such a steep cliff from the platform to the beach, and the drop is so large that the strong wind can actually move the sand on the beach to Coming to the shore at a height of more than 80 meters, you have to admire the mysterious power of nature.
When I went to the wind blowing sand scenic spot, when the northeast monsoon was prevailing, I stood on the viewing platform, but was blown by the strong wind and couldn't stand still. Some local people once warned: Go to the wind and sand, girls can't wear skirts, and they will definitely disappear when they get there; boys can't stand on the shore and shout loudly, because they will be filled with sand when they open their mouths. Of course, such a strong wind, wearing a skirt is definitely unbearable, it's too cold; if you open your mouth, you don't eat much sand.
If it's just the wind blowing the sand ashore, it's not unusual. During the rainy season in Hengchun from May to September every year, when it rains, the accumulated water on the Longpan meadow will flow along the cliffs towards the beach. The rainwater carries the sand blown ashore in winter and flows down the steep slope to the beach again. When it is spectacular, the flowing sand is like a river of mud, hanging on the cliff. No wonder there are still many dry mud ditches under the viewing platform.
In this way, the wind and sand in Kenting have become twin brothers. During the rainy season, the sand rushes to the sea; during the dry season, the strong wind moves the sand on the beach up. Two seasons a year, the sand and the strong wind in Kenting come and go, so lively. Such a unique landform actually exists on the east coast of Kenting, and finally became a tourist attraction.
However, it is rare to see the scene where the wind and the sand flow together. First, because of the newly built Jia’e Highway, the hardening of the road has blocked the flow of sand to a certain extent; second, a large amount of ephedra was planted for sand fixation. So now when visiting the wind blowing sand scenic spot, tourists are more likely to feel the monsoon blowing from the Pacific Ocean in winter, or stand on the viewing platform to overlook the beautiful scenery of Hengchun Bay.
In fighting against nature, human beings will always have a way. As a scenic spot in Kenting Park, Fengchuisha has been preserved. Although it is no longer possible to see the spectacle of sand "moving", leaving a myth is a consolation. If you also want to see this scenic spot, you can rent a locomotive on Kenting Street, and then drive along Taiwan Line 26 towards the east coast, and you can reach Fengchuisha after passing Longpan Park. About the author: Lu Jianhua Photography (photographer, traveler, self-media person)