The revitalization of Gaomei Lighthouse creates tranquil landscapes for wildlife and visitors.
Appropriately situated on the 35th floor of one of the tallest buildings in Taipei City, with panoramic views of the winding Keelung River and shop houses in the city’s oldest district spread far below, is Fawn Group. The group now operates Gaomei Lighthouse, the first lighthouse accommodation in Taiwan, part of an eclectic portfolio of hotel properties catering to its Generation Z target demographic. In May 2023 Fawn Group CEO George Hsu (許祥誌) noticed that a tender to operate the Gaomei Lighthouse as accommodation had been announced by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ (MOTC) Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) and was immediately intrigued. “Our group’s philosophy centers on creativity and transforming spaces, and we are always eager to explore different business models,” said Christine Chen (陳玉瑩), public relations manager for the group. “Since we had no properties in the central city of Taichung, Gaomei Lighthouse presented a perfect entry point.” With the catalyst of high-tech navigation aids on marine vessels and expansion and upgrade of commercial port facilities, the MPB took over authority for Taiwan’s 36 lighthouses in 2012 and started to systematically apply for their designation as historic buildings. By 2013 the MPB had recorded 1 million visitors, and Gaomei Lighthouse was the 10th such asset to open to the public. The agency works closely with the Tourism Administration and local industries on diversified development, with a goal of providing resources offering a combination of culture, history and low carbon leisure.
(Courtesy of Fawn Group)
Built in 1967 to fill a gap in ship navigation aids between Baishajia Lighthouse in what is now Taoyuan City and Mudouyu Lighthouse in outlying Penghu County, Gaomei Lighthouse stands on the south bank of the Dajia River estuary. The location was chosen as the closest to the center point between the two older lighthouses. Construction of Taichung Port started in the 1970s, and in 1982 Gaomei Lighthouse’s lantern was moved to its current location in the city’s commercial port. The lighthouse compound with its octagonal reinforced concrete 34.4-meter-tall tower, painted with red and white horizontal stripes, was opened to the public in 2014 before being readied for use as hotel accommodation in 2022 as part of the MPB property revitalization
Accidental Ecosystem
The surrounding area is rich in topographical assets that have given rise to a unique ecosystem that is now utilized in a thoughtful way to protect wildlife while allowing visitors to experience the flat marshes and open perspectives of the estuary. The wetland was accidentally formed as a result of the port’s northern sand control embankment, which caused a silt-rich accumulation of sediment in what had been a beach. In 2004, responding to the thriving marsh ecosystem of wading birds, fish and invertebrates, the Ministry of Agriculture designated the site as Gaomei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Rare, endemic fiddler crabs prefer the drier habitat around high tide lines and build chimneylike nests during breeding season. Mudskippers, a rare species of air-breathing, amphibious fish use bony muscular fins to move on mudflats. (Courtesy of Fawn Group)
In 2007 the Ministry of the Interior’s National Land Management Agency listed it as an important national wetland, and in 2012 Taichung City Government implemented zoning control on construction and development. Gaomei Wetland covers an area of 701 hectares and is composed of mud and sand that nurtures a complex ecology. Home to the largest known native growth of sedge grass, a pioneer plant in intertidal zones that provides shelter for a variety of invertebrates, rare fiddler crabs and mudskippers, the site attracts over 120 bird species and is one of Taiwan’s few collective breeding areas for wild migratory waterfowl.
As the lighthouse is a designated level two historic building, all renovations needed to comply with heritage preservation regulations. The compound’s offices and dormitories were redesigned by Fawn Group to offer five private rooms, one double suite, one family suite and a communal lounge, with public areas curated with books and visitor information. Throughout the revitalization process, the goal was to forge a contemporary experience that brought together local elements: the ecology, the unique location and the landscape’s light and space. On both sides of the lighthouse are fenced areas for the rare native wild orchid Spiranthes sinensis, planted by the MPB over a decade ago.
In keeping with the surrounding ecology, the rare native wild orchid Spiranthes sinensis thrives on the lighthouse compound, planted by the Marine and Ports Bureau about a decade ago. (Courtesy of Fawn Group)
Coastal Flavors
To assist an economic ripple effect, Fawn Group has two key local partners sited within sleek cube-like buildings in the park. Me Before You (MBY) is a platform founded by a local entrepreneur that provides a marketing channel and consignment space for local youth and farmers to showcase and sell their products. The items on display change every month and span both food and gifts. MBY has also created a themed cafe space where visitors can explore products and take photos with vintage marine artifacts. Some of its menu items include soft bread filled with chives and grilled cheese.
Also on offer at the lighthouse is High on Life Ice Cream, a brand founded by young residents of Taichung’s coastal region who embrace the area’s beauty, culture and cuisine in small-batch handmade ice cream flavors such as cilantro and Taiwan’s iconic herbal energy drink Paolyta B with coconut milk. There are also seasonal flavors, like December’s panettone. Chen said that the frozen treat is a big hit with schoolchildren, as they are used to more conventional tastes like chocolate or vanilla.
All are welcome to visit the lighthouse compound and can gaze at the extensive estuarine panorama from the top of the tower. Since the iron spiral staircase that winds up 12 floors has limited capacity, only five visitors can ascend at a time and there is a small charge as local guides point out the landmarks. Other tours, all led by locals, include a walk through the marshes to learn about plants and wildlife. There is also a boardwalk through the wetland so that when the tide is in visitors can stroll through the watery landscape, an activity especially popular with photographers at sunset. A 3.3-kilometer-long bike trail offers an overview of the entire wetland with wind turbines in the distance and is another good place for bird and sunset watching.
The 500-meter-long boardwalk provides access for visitors to the wetlands at high tide. (Courtesy of Fawn Group)
“Gaomei is a space to slow down, protect the environment, savor local cuisine and support young entrepreneurs,” Chen said. One of the most unusual and alluring activities that sums up this experience is stargazing. As there is little light pollution, the wide expanse of land is the perfect place to lie in the grass at night to watch for meteor showers and identify the constellations, with Scorpio and the Big Dipper arching overhead as insects and birdlife chirp all around.
Write to Nai Li at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw