Tainan County - Chiku

Right: The Salt Mountain, Chiku, Tainan County

Out in Tainan County is a town called Chigu. Chigu is also the temporary home of the Black Faced Spoonbill on it's migratory route around Korea and the Chinese Coast. Nearby is a salt mountain, which the Taiwanese in typical fashion have turned into a local tourist attraction. These bright young things (above) got me out of bed at some God forbidden hour to take me down there. (I'm the pasty looking fat guy in the middle) I bought an ice cream which turned out to be salty egg flavour. The taste was.....different.

Oyster fisheries at Tsengwen Estuary, Chiku

Chigu is an annual stop off on the route of the Black Faced Spoonbill (hei mian pilu) which migrates around Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Leaving Tainan City head north on highway 17 (Jhonghua West Road) Turn left at the big bridge leading into Chigu.

Right: Black Faced Spoonbill

A signpost points the way to "Chigu Black Faced Spoonbill Preserve" but despite how that sounds, spoonbills are not something you can spread on your toast!

Carl Bredenkamp runs Bamboo Bridge Bed & Breakfast near Chigu. Weekend barbecues, afternoon tea and coffee with scones, as well as sundowner cocktails.

Head north on route 17 and turn left on route 173.