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  4. Kenting National Park Secret Adventure: Treasure Hunt in Intertidal Zone Explores Mysteries of Coral Coast

Kenting National Park Secret Adventure: Treasure Hunt in Intertidal Zone Explores Mysteries of Coral Coast

Surrounded by the sea on three sides, the Hengchun Peninsula’s 75-kilometer coastline predominantly consists of coral reef growing on limestone terrain. The coastal geological formations include breathtaking natural landscapes such as reef pinnacles, sea grooves, marine potholes, and interstratified caves. With rising and receding tides, the coast’s intertidal zone exposed is known to be the perfect classroom for environmental education! When the tide is low, tide pools of various sizes emerge as nature’s treasure trove, where fish, shrimps, crabs, starfish, and sea slugs are thriving. Cloaked in splendid colors, these amazing sea creatures will entice people to explore the wonders of the ocean.

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Hobihu Tidal Area

Fun at Hengchun Peninsula, Sustainable Development of Marine Recreation

The Daguang community used to cultivate large plantations of sisal, which was an important product for export. Together, onions, sisal, and Gangkou tea constitute the three treasures of Hengchun. As sisal twine and ropes are gradually replaced by nylon ropes, the Daguang community turns to fishing harbor tourism for development. Since then, many seafood restaurants have emerged. In this regard, the Daguang Community Development Association has been proactively promoting eco-tourism in recent years. These efforts are made in the hope of changing the stereotypical impression of which “Houbi Lake = fresh seafood cuisine.”

In addition, located in the Daguang community, Houbi Lake serves as Kenting’s base camp for water activities. With a well-developed reef system and safe waters, many tourists often come here for water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and standup paddleboarding (SUP). The wide expanse of shallow shore offers close-up viewing of the sea creatures, making it a fun experience for the whole family.

Adults and children are having a great time at Houbihu.
Adults and children are having a great time at Houbihu.

Surfing Waves in Pursuit of Stunning Sights Worthy of National Geographic

In addition to eco-tourism itineraries promoted by the community, the Kenting National Park Headquarters also organized the “Blue Sea Intertidal Fun” event. Surfers would follow a guide to explore the intertidal zone, where they were invited to carefully observe signs of organisms hidden in rock crevices. After all, there are surprises to be found in every nook and cranny here, while a spectacular seascape is right at the horizon.

Before setting off, participants of the tour would first meet at the visitor center to learn about how tides would form and precautions of the tour. The precautions included safety tips when walking on coral reefs, identifying poisonous creatures, and most importantly, not turning over rocks, not touching coastal creatures, and not taking away any shells or organisms, so as to prevent destroying precious habitats and the balance of nature.

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the “Blue Sea Intertidal Fun” event

Diurnal and Nocturnal Wonders Showcase Vitality of Life

The “Blue Sea Intertidal Fun” tour offered two sessions, one during daytime and the other during nighttime. While the day session took place under the heat of the sun, it offered clearer visibility and was relatively safer, making it easier for observing and filming nature. Participants would be able to focus on the details by their feet, observe marine life up close, and gain knowledge about the ocean and conservation. As the tour was both educational and fun, it attracted many parents to bring their children along. The tour itinerary would end with beach cleanup. After witnessing the beauty of the marine world, participants were shocked to discover how garbage affects every inch of the coastline. They reflected on how plastic garbage would enter the food chain, causing severe marine pollution. They came to realize that each person has the power to make a change.

The event concluded with a beach cleanup activity, allowing everyone to contribute to keeping the coastline clean.
The event concluded with a beach cleanup activity, allowing everyone to contribute to keeping the coastline clean.

Updated：


Kenting

Kenting

Accommodation in Kenting   (Last Updated: 2020-11-19 /Published: 2009-08-12 )

Please read articles in our website for more information about accommodation in Kenting National Park.


HotelTelFaxAddress
Chateau beach resort886-7-2010088886-7-2010077No.451, Kending Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County 946, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Yoho Spa ＆Resorts886-8-8869999886-8-8869998No.27-8, Wna-Li Road , Heag Chun Chen, PinTung
Kenting House886-8-8861371 ~ 5886-8-8861377No.101,Gong Yuan Road, Kenting Village, Hengchun Town, Pingtung Hsieng, 946, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Caesar Park Hotel & Resorts886-8-8861888886-2-28613885No.6 Kenting Road, Hengchun Town, Pingtung Hsieng, 94644, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Howard Hotel‧Resorts‧Suites886-8-8862323886-8-8862359No2, Kenting Road, Hengchun Town, Pingtung Hsien,Taiwan 946, R.O.C.
The Swan lake Resort Hotel SPA886-8-8891234886-8-8898800No.500, Nanwan Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County 946, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Kenting Chantilly Beach Resort886-8-8861203886-8-8861205No.451,Kenting Road, Hengchun Town, Pingung Hsieng, Taiwan 946, R.O.C.


Travel Guide (Last Updated: 2018-09-18/Published: 2009-08-12)

Half-day Trip

Forest and Seashore Tour

1. Visitor Center → 2. Kenting Forest Recreation Area﹙or Sheding Nature Park﹚→ 3. Chuanfan Rock → 4. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 5. Longpan Park → 6. Fongchueisha → 7. Jialeshuei → Returning home on the Provincial Highway (takes around four and half hours)

half day trip
Driving Trip

1. Visitor Center → 2. Cingwashih (Frog Rock) and Chuanfan Rock → 3. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 4. Longpan Park → 5. Eluanbi Lighthouse → 6. South Bay→ 7. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → 8. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 9. Maobitou Park → Returning home on the West Coastal Highway (takes around 4 and half hours)

driving trip
West Coast Trip

1. Visitor Center → 2. South Bay → 3. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → 4. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 5. Houbihu Yacht Harbor → 6. Maobitou Park → 7. Guanshan → Returning home on the West Coastal Highway (takes around 4 and half hours)

west coast trip

One day Trip

※ Numbers marked in blue belong to the morning schedule; numbers marked in black belong to the afternoon schedule. ※

Forest Trip

1. Visitor Center → 2.Forest Recreation Area → Lunch → 3. Sheding Nature Park → 4. Chuanfan Rock → 5. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 6. Eluanbi Park → 7. Fongchueisha → Returning home on the Provincial Highway (takes around 7 and half hours)

forest trip
Forest and Coast Trip

1. Visitor Center → 2.Forest Recreation Area or Sheding Nature Park → Lunch → 3. Chuanfan Rock → 4. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 5. Eluanbi Park → 6. South Bay → 7. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → 8. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 9. Maobitou Park → Returning home on the West Coastal Highway (takes around 7 and half hours)

forest and coast trip
Driving Trip

1. Visitor Center → 2. South Bay → 3. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → 4. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 5. Houbihu Yacht Harbor → lunch → 6. Maobitou Park → 7. Cingwashih (Frog Rock) → 8.Chuanfan Rock → 9. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 10. Eluanbi Lighthouse → 11. Longpan Park → 12. Fongchueisha → Returning home on the Provincial Highway (takes around 7 and half hours)

driving trip

Two day Trip

※ Numbers marked in black belong to the Day 1 schedule; numbers marked in blue belong to the Day 2 schedule ※

Day 1: 1. Visitor Center → 2. Forest Recreation Area → Lunch → 3. Sheding Nature Park → 4. Chuanfan Rock→ 5. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 6. Eluanbi Park → 7. Fongchueisha → Lodging. Night activities: Star-watching at the Longpan Park（or high tours at the Chuhuo Natural Fire Special Scenic Area, Eluanbi Lighthouse and Kenting Road）

Day 2: 1. South Bay → 2. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → 3. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 4.Houbihu Yacht Harbor →Lunch → 5. Maobitou Park → 6. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium → Returning home

2day trip

Tree day Trip

※ Numbers marked in blue belong to the Day 1 schedule; numbers marked in blue belong to the Day 2 schedule; numbers marked in red belong to the Day 1 schedule ※

Day 1: 1.Visitor Center → 2. Forest Recreation Area → Lunch → 3. Sheding Nature Park → 4. Youth activity Center and Cingwashih Trail → 5. Little Bay Beach → Lodging. Night activities: Star-watching at the Longpan Park

Day 2: 1. Chuanfan Rock → 2. Sadao Seashell Sand Exhibition Hall → 3. Eluanbi Park → 4. Longpan Park → 5. Fongchueisha → Lunch → 6. Hengchun Ancient City → 7. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium → Lodgin. Night activities: Night tours at the ChuhNatural Fire Special Scenic Area, Eluanbi Lighthouse, and Kenting Road）

Day 3: 1. Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition. → 2. Longluan Lake Nature Center → 3. Houbihu Yacht Harbor → Lunch → 4. Maobitou Park → 5.Playing water at Baisha → 6.Sightseeing at Guanshan → 7.Senic spots at west coastal area → Returning home

Theme Trip

Bird-watching Trip
Eagle-observation Trip in September and in October: Sheding Nature Park (observing the migration of Chinese Sparrow Hawk and Gray-faced Buzzard Eagle) →Visitor Center (watching birds ’ films and exhibition → Southern bank of the Longluan Lake (observing the egret group) → Longluan Lake Nature Center (viewing birds ’ exhibitions) →Manjhou Lide Bridge(observing eagles ’ movement)
Water Bird Trip from November to February: Visitor Center (watching birds ’ films and exhibitions) → Southern bank of the Longluan Lake (observing the egret group) → Longluan Lake Nature Center (viewing bird exhibitions and observing water birds)
Plant Trip
Visitor Center (watching plants ’ films and exhibitions) → Sheding Nature Park (observing Kenting uplifted coral-reef forest) → Siangjiao Bay strand forest (observing strand forest) → Eluanbi Park (observing seashore plants) → Longpan Grassland﹝grassland plants﹞ → Fongchueisha (dune plants)
Cultural Trip
Visitor Center (watching cultural films and exhibitions) → Botan Tribe (Mudan Tribe) Incident Monument in Houwan → Hengchun Ancient City → Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition → Eluanbi Lighthouse


Visitor Safety (Last Updated: 2018-09-20/Published: 2009-08-12)

Notices to visitors

Formosan sika deer
 
  1. No selling or displaying animals, plants, and their specimens that are regulated by Naitonal Park Law or other relevant laws.
  2. No quarrying, selling and displaying stalagmites, stalactites, fossils, shell sands, coral reefs, or other unique rocks and their specimens and processed products.
  3. No vendor stalls or selling in prohibited areas within the National Park’s recreation areas.
  4. No pasturing except in the limited use areas or except in the areas 20 meters away from main roads.
  5. No transportation containers, trailers, vendor stands or other similar constructions that destroy the landscapes in the national park heavily.
  6. No beach motoring, sand skiing or riding, riding on all-terrain vehicle, driving all-terrain utility vehicles like Land Rovers.
  7. No climbing on Mt. Dajian, Cingwashih, and Chuanfan Rock in the park.
  8. No setting off fireworks in the national park (except for the local endemic customs and religious rituals during Chinese New Year’s Eve, and the first day to the fifth day of the lunar new year, Lantern Festival, Tomb Sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Summer Ghost Festival, and Moon Festival).
  9. No barbecuing and no trespassing the guard rails in the Chuhuo Natural Fire Special Scenic Area in the national park.
  10. No casting any ray of light, flying sky lanterns in the national park. No camping, barbecuing, making up campfire outside of the campgrounds in the recreation areas.

(Post from Restrictions within the Premises of Kenting National Park)


Park Contacts (Last Updated: 2020-11-20/Published: 2009-08-12)

Information of Visitor Center

Mt. Nanren
 
LocationOpening HoursContact Information
Kenting National Park Headquarters8:40am~4:50pmTel:886-8-8861321
Fax: 886-8-8861432
Exhibition Room of Sheding Park8:00am~5:00pmTel:886-8-8861821
Shadao8:00am~5:00pmTel: 886-8-8851204
South Bay Recreation AreaOct. to Jan.:
8:00am~5:30pm
Mar., Apr., Aug., Sep.:
8:00am~6:00pm
May, Jun., Jul.:
8:00am~6:30pm		Tel: 886-8-8892894
Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition8:00am~5:00pmTel: 886-8-8866520
Longluan Lake8:30am~5:00pmTel: 886-8-8891456
HoubihuVisitor Center8:00am~5:00pmTel: 886-8-886-7041~2
Eluanbi ParkDaylight Saving Time / Summer Time (April 1 to October 31),
6:30am to 6:30pm
Winter Time (November 1 to March 31),
7:00am to 5:30pm		Tel: 886-8-8851101
Maobitou ParkDaylight Saving Time / Summer Time (April 1 to October 31),
8:30am to 6:30pm
Winter Time (November 1 to March 31),
8:00am to 5:00pm		Tel: 886-8-8867520
Tanzih BayVisitor Center8:00am~5:00pmTel: 886-8-8861321 ext:500


Map Of The Park (Last Updated: 2018-09-19/Published: 2009-08-12)

map of Kenting

Situated on Taiwan's southernmost Hengchun Peninsula, Kenting National Park faces the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Taiwan Strait on the west, and the Bashi Channel on the south. The Park covers a land area of 18,084 hectares, including the coral reef cliffs and coastal zone from Gueishan to Hongchai on the west; Maobitou, Nanwan, Eluanbi, and Kenting Forest Recreation Area south of Longluantan on the south; Jialeshuei along the Pacific ocean on the east; and Nanrenshan on the north.

The coastal area stretches across 15,185 hectares, including Nanwan and the waters within one kilometer of the shore from Gueishan, north Eluanbi, to Nanrenwan. The total area of the park is 33,269 hectares.


How To Get There (Last Updated: 2023-06-02/Published: 2009-08-12)

coral 

Transportations

  1. bus

Four bus companies provide the Kenting-Kaohsiung route:

  1. Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport Company (Kingbus)
  2. Chong Nang Bus Company
  3. Kaohsiung Bus Company
  4. Pingdong Bus Company

※ Intervals: Every 40 to 50 minutes from 12:00am (midnight) to 4:00am (mostly provided by Chong Nang Bus Company). Every 6 to 10 minutes of headway during rush hours, and every 15 to 20 minutes of headway during off-peak hours.

※ Please contact the Joint Management Operation Center: 07-2357841, or visit the website of Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport Company at KUO-KUANG MOTOR TRANSPORTATION