Budai Salt Fields (Budai Salt Mountain)

Due to its flat sandy coast and intense sunlight, Taiwan's southwestern coast has been an excellent salt production area since ancient times. Budai possesses unique geographical conditions and a long history of salt production, which can be traced back to the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, spanning over two hundred years to date. Salt fields began to be developed in Budai during the Qing Qianlong era. By the 3rd year of the Qing Daoguang period (1823), the wealthy salt merchant Wu Shang-hsin further developed hundreds of hectares of salt pans, laying the foundation for Budai's future salt production industry. During the Japanese colonial period, Budai's salt fields matured further, making Budai Port an important salt transportation hub, from where Budai's salt was shipped to China and Japan. These sprawling white salt fields once held an industrial status akin to 'white gold.' However, like salt fields in other regions, salt workers were almost entirely replaced by mechanized salt production, leading to the decline of Budai's salt industry. The vast salt pans no longer show scenes of sun-drying or harvesting salt, and the small trains that once traversed them have long since retired. The Budai Salt Fields are not confined to Budai Township alone. In fact, the entire salt field area spans three coastal townships in Chiayi County: Dongshi Township, Budai Township, and Yizhu Township. Roughly, the area extends from west of Provincial Highway 17 to the coastline, from the northernmost Zhangtan office to the southernmost Xinwen office, managing approximately 10 production zones. The current idle salt flats located between Provincial Highways 17 and 61 connect with the Haomeiliao Ecological Protected Area, becoming the most important foraging ground for egrets and other migratory birds that winter in Taiwan, as well as an excellent bird-watching spot. All salt fields in Budai Township are owned by Taiwan Salt Co. (Taiyen). It was once the largest salt field in Taiwan. In the past, driving south along Provincial Highway 17, both sides offered views of salt fields – neat white salt ponds shimmering with light, and snow-white salt mountains, appearing like small snow peaks rising from the flatland, forming a unique industrial landscape.