With visitors able to reach Kaohsiung City--the gateway to the park--using a variety of transportation options, the most convenient and stress-free is undoubtedly the Taiwan High Speed Rail. It takes only 90 minutes to reach the southern port city from Taipei, a far cry from the "slow train" that needs up to five hours and can be an exercise in patience that tests even the hardiest of eco-tourists.
Upon reaching Kaohsiung's Zuoying Station, the first thing a visitor notices is the sunlight. For those in search of a vitamin D fix, this part of Taiwan is definitely the place to be. But a word for the wise, along with an abundance of the single most underrated nutrient in the world comes a stifling heat that averages almost 40 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
From Zuoying, buses run back and forth between Kaohsiung and Kenting. The journey takes two hours and costs US$12 per person. A seemingly endless view of breaking waves and shimmering beaches accompanies the ride, far surpassing any electronic in-trip entertainment that could be provided.
Upon getting off the bus in Kenting, lines of scooter rental shops await those seeking to "keep it real" and experience the great outdoors of the region face-to-face. Why is a potentially dangerous form of transport more popular than an automobile when making a visit? According to Chris Fang, a park volunteer guide, visitors like to taste the salty and sweltering wind coming from the ocean while appreciating the local scenery.
"Most of the time, scooters are no doubt the first pick," Fang said, sporting highly distinctive khaki uniform of a park guide topped off with a slouch hat. Retiring from the navy in 1995, Fang has served at Kenting for eight years, saying, "The beautiful south is my birthplace and remains my favorite place in the world."
For Fang, no trip to Pingtung County's 33,269-hectare-park, which was established in 1984 and faces the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Taiwan Strait on the west and the Bashi Channel on the south, can begin anywhere else than South Bay Recreation Area. Boasting nearly a kilometer of pristine beach that is ideal for swimming and water sports, the town is situated at the 28-kilometer mark along the Pingtung-Erluanbi Highway.
"This is where it all begins," stated Fang, pointing at the spot South Bay occupies on his map of the park. For first-time visitors to this water paradise dominated by a turquoise sea and a powder-fine sand beach.
"Whatever your heart desires, you can find it here," Fang said. Visitors can enjoy scuba diving, glass-bottom boats, speed boating, jet skiing, parasailing, or if they have the gumption to try something a little more challenging: surfing. But for many, a simple session spent stretched out on a towel soaking up rays is more than enough action for one day.
Wu Yi-lin, who also serves as a volunteer park guide, explained that during the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), South Bay was home to the Taiwan's whaling industry. "In the 1920s, this was the biggest whale hunting port on the island," he said. "But it all came to an end in 1967 because the whales were hunted out." Today, only the jetties where the leviathans of the deep were once butchered remain.
Of the seven national parks in Taiwan, Kenting is the only one that encompasses coastal waters and an abundance of marine life nurtured in an all-year-round water temperature between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius.
Located on the northern edge of the golden triangle of high coral diversity, Kenting's reefs are boosted by the delivery of larvae from equatorial colonies brought by the strong Kuroshio and South China Sea surface currents. According to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, the coral coverage in the park is 40 percent higher than that of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
"A complete coral ecosystem is one of the features in the park," Wu said. He explained that corals are coelenterates, which can be divided into hard corals and soft corals on the basis of their morphology. "Studies indicate that over 250 species of stony corals, 50 species of horny corals and another 50 species of soft corals are found in the park area," he added. In addition, around 1,015 species of coral reef fish swim in the coastal waters, such as intertidal, demersal and migratory fish. "You'll never realize how beautiful they are without seeing with your own eyes."
The guide's claim is something that many visitors put to the test when visiting Kenting and experiencing snorkeling or scuba diving for the very first time. A world of colorful fish and gorgeous corals awaits the intrepid underwater explorer.
"Our ocean is full of wonders, encompassing shellfish, algae, sea stars, and sea lilies," Fang said. "People love to dive here because unlike other popular diving spots, they can do so throughout the year."
Along with world-class diving, Kenting also offers stunning stretches of beaches with sugar-white sand. Fang said that Shadao is renowned for its unique sand. "About 99.7 percent of the sand in this area consists of shells," Fang explained, adding that the area has been listed by park headquarters as an environmental protection area that forbids entry to people.
Another spot renowned for the wonders of Mother Nature is Fongchueisha, literally meaning windblown sand. "This naturally created sand river stretching from the tableland into the sea always attracts visitors' attentions," Wu said. The landform is composed of a mixture of sand and real soil, with summer rains washing the sand northeast toward the sea, eventually forming a 70-meter-long sand cascade. In winter, the wind blows the sand back again to the southwest.
But the wind blows not only the sand in Kenting; it is also used by the region's birds to help guide them on their migratory paths. The park is famed for its bird population. Approximately 200 species of birds live in or migrate through the area. Longluan Lake is the winter habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl from Japan, Siberia, and China. The park also is a major resting spot for other migratory birds, especially the brown shrike and the gray-faced buzzard. "To satisfy bird lovers, a nature center equipped with a bird ecology exhibit, telescope observatory and video tape presentation has been established," Wu pointed out.
But it is not only natural marvels that abound at Kenting, one place better known for its manmade assets as opposed to its fringing reefs is the historic Erluanbi Park, home to Erluanbi Lighthouse--one of Taiwan's eight scenic areas identified during the Japanese colonial era--as well as the nation's southernmost point.
"The lighthouse was constructed in 1882 during the Ching dynasty (1644-1911) and was built with a moat, cannons and surrounding wall with gun holes," Fang said. The guide added that the 12.4-meter-tall lighthouse boasts a large-scale rotating glass light with a brightness of 1.8 million candlepower. "Visible from 37 kilometers out to sea, this is the most powerful lighthouse in Taiwan and has been dubbed 'the light of East Asia,'" Fang said.
Another facet of the park that visitors are often unaware of is that it was once used to grow sisal hemp crops. At the Sisal Industry Historical Exhibition on the road to Maobitou--famous for its rocky outcrops that resemble crouching cats--efforts are being made to preserve Kenting's cultural assets by documenting historical industries such as the region's hemp industry.
"In the past, the sisal hemp industry was an important part of Hengchun's economy. It was the only crop in the area due to the barrenness of the land," Fang said. He explained that most of the farmers in the area started growing the plant after 1918 for export to Japan. "The market boomed after 1945 but finished around 1965 because of competition from abroad."
One of Kenting's must-see sights is Chuhuo--a special area that contains many fissures through which natural gas leaks to the surface and ignites. Small orange and occasionally blue flames dance up to 10 centimeters off ground. "It's just like an inextinguishable camp fire, particularly suitable for having fun in the nighttime," Fang noted.
The guide explained that historically, many residents in the area had been wary of the mysterious fires and believed in various superstitions regarding Chuhuo. "The flames coming out of the ground were considered very strange, especially when they moved," Fang said. "This was attributed to spirits."
These days though, any supernatural beliefs that might have once existed in Kenting have been replaced by a more earthly leisure-mantra based upon water sports, relaxation and taking in the beauty of nature. "Never forget," Fang said, "anytime someone needs sunshine and the beach, Kenting will always be there."
Write to Allen Hsu at allenhsu@mail.gio.gov.tw