Kenting National Park

Reset with the seas on the three sides, the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Taiwan Straits on the west and the Bashi Chan Straits on the south, and backing on to the mountains and hills, Kenting National Park has a complex terrain, that combines seas with moun­tains and marshes with plains. Nestling on the Hengchun Penin­sula at the southern tip of Taiwan Island, its 32,640 hectares of total area contains a diversity of natural landscapes-coral reefs, beaches, rocky seashores, limestone tablelands, isolated peaks, big ponds, roaring waterfalls, sparkling estuaries, crystal-clear streams and lakes, basins and plains between mountains, grasslands, sand dunes and dense virgin tropical stands.

Hengchun means "eternal spring", that speaks well for the pleasant weather in this park because the climate here is as delight­ful as spring the year round, particularly the brisk autumn. The park includes the great portion of the Hengchun Peninsula, which re­mains an uncontaminated area by human establishments.

The narrow and long plain stretches between the east and the west of the park, dividing the park into two parts. Skirt-shaped coral reefs spread all over the west seashores. Mountains occupy most of the north, while tablelands of coral reefs and hills stand allover the south. The ever-changing topography encompasses a great variety of geological formations.

Kenting National Park lures visitors with its wonderful natural beauties including the expansive beaches of blinding white ,sand, crystal-like blue sea waters sparkling under the sunlight and the green seashores, that make it a fine recreation area and a favorite vacationland, where the wind and the sand conjure up a spectacu­lar sight. In winter, strong northeast monsoons push the white sand away from the sea bottom toward the land, lifting the sand over the highland of 70 meters high, and accumulating 500 meters thick. Then the summer rains wash the sand back toward the sea, forming sand rivers and sand cataracts that rush down from the highland, leav­ing very few sand dunes behind. The bay indents the tortuous coastline, that is edged with lovely white sand beaches stretching like pale ribbons. The seashores are enlivened by numerous gulls and other birds who poke in the rocky rubbles for clams, crabs, mussels and fish. Their calls sometimes muffle the dash of the sea waters. Park rangers lead beach walks at the beaches, much to the delight of tide pool enthusiasts.

Scattered coral reefs dot the coast. The flat coral reef, a highland, composed of lime-rich coral skeletons, stands on the coast. It shel­ters a cave that is decorated with a multitude of stalactites hanging over-head, leaving a narrow entrance for most of the visitors, ex­cept few overweight tourists, to enter into the cave.

The coral reefs on the east and west of the Peninsula offer different vistas. Those to the west coast, facing the sea, are skirt ­shaped scatters. Those to the east coast, however, are raised flats with limestone caves, sand rivers, sand cataracts, hanging cliffs and pitfalls. Erosion from wind and rain sculptured them into varied shapes. The raised coral reefs rising to 300 meters above sea level, created some special geologic structures such as the fancifully called Stalagmite Cave, the Fairy Cave, the Silver Dragon Cave, the Um­brella Booth, the Resting Ape's Cliff, A Glimpse of Sky and the First Gorge.

The coral-limestone formations that were forced out from the ocean bed by a titanic upheaval long before recorded history offer varied fanciful resembling figures as much as your imagination can run. The most interesting attraction here is one of the coral forma­tions aptly named Sail Rock, which has a strong resemblance to former U.S. President Richard Nixon.

Other special geological features here in this park include the age-old natural lakes, such as the Lakes Han and Lungjuan. Out­side the east gate of Hengchun City; there is an ever-burning fire of natural gas that comes up from the deep underground.

The ocean and beaches are the seashore's most popular attractions, offering a wide range of vision and a chance at great stretches of solitude. Early morning sunlight brings golden flame over the surface of the sea. The roads follow the shoreline, provid­ing a stunning view of the sand beaches and the ocean. As the first national park in Taiwan set aside in 1977, Kenting has become a major tourist attraction. Most visitors today are day-trippers, com­ing to spend a weekend at the beach to take nature walks and to explore the wilderness areas. The absence of cars on most of the peninsula makes the park a terrific escape from the hustle and bustle of cities. The park is partly under-water, appealing to snorkelers and divers. The recreation area offers extensive visitor facilities. This combination of sights and services makes the park a stunningly wild and beautiful place, which affords a world of blue sky and sea, vast expanse of white sand beaches and enormous birds.

With the rise of the tidal waves, many smaller marine animals, such as crabs, snails, shells, clams and shrimps, are often jostled and washed up on the shore, where they scurry back to the sea or they are gobbled up by terns or gulls who are waiting for stoking themselves. Mussels are plentiful, and observant visitors wander­ing along the beach often notice some colorful fish washed up on the sand.

Adorned with picturesque mountains and hills, fair plains, huge rocks, blue and calm seas, beautiful seashores and broad beaches, Kenting is comparable to Hawaii in natural beauty. It attracts an endless stream of visitors.