After we alighted Bus 98, a small white mountain immediately drew our attention. Located in Tainan’s coastal Cigu District, this massive white mound isn’t made of snow, it’s made of salt.
Rising about six stories high, it stands as a reminder of Taiwan’s once-thriving salt industry. Today, it has been transformed into a leisure park where visitors can learn about salt production, enjoy quirky salt-themed treats, and even climb to the top for panoramic coastal views.
A wooden stairway and pathway led us up the slope to a viewing platform at the top. As we climbed, the surface sparkled under sunlight, creating a surreal white landscape.
From the summit, we had a panoramic view of the surrounding salt flats, coastal scenery and wind turbines at a distance.
The park incorporates creative elements beyond just the salt pile. The contrast between the bright white salt and blue sky makes it very photogenic.
At the back of the salt mountain, the colour changed and it reminded us of the Neapolitan ice cream.
All around the park, we could see decorative salt sculptures, artistic installations, and colorful signboards.
Within the compound, we also found exhibition areas explaining traditional salt field techniques, evaporation pond systems, tools used by salt workers, and historical photos of salt harvesting.
Displays showcased how seawater was channeled into shallow ponds, evaporated under the sun, and crystallized into salt.
Cigu was historically one of Taiwan’s most important salt-producing areas. Thanks to the region’s strong sunlight, flat coastal land, and seawater access, salt fields flourished here for centuries. However, industrial changes and imported salt eventually led to the decline of traditional salt farming. Rather than demolish everything, the area was repurposed into a tourism and cultural site
One of the must-try items here is the famous salt ice cream. The flavor might sound unusual, but it’s surprisingly delicious. It was a perfect balance of creamy sweetness with a hint of saltiness.
We also tried the marinated tea eggs (盐卤茶叶蛋).
We spent slightly more than an hour exploring the park. At about 12:20pm, we returned to the bus-stop to wait for Bus 98, which was scheduled to arrive at about 12:30pm.
On our return journey, we originally wanted to take the Sicao Green Tunnel boat ride. However, it was closed that day because there was a huge event at the nearby Luermen Mazu Temple (鹿耳门妈祖庙) that attracted huge crowds to that area.
As such, we had to skip it and proceeded to Anping District.
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