Xiangshan Wetlands 香山濕地

4/14/2023

The Xiangshan Wetlands (aka Siangshan Wetland) in Hsinchu are the biggest coastal wetlands in Northern Taiwan. The area includes intertidal lands that cover over 1000 hectares and includes bike paths, beaches, mangroves, and a birdwatching zone. It is definitely worth a trip for nature enthusiasts visiting northern Taiwan.

Background:
The intertidal mudflat that makes up Xiangshan Wetlands is about 20 KM long, from Nanliao to Nangang in Hsinchu. In 1996, the wetland was recognized as a bird protection park. In 2001, it was named as a national wildlife refuge, and in 2013 it was named as a wetland of national importance. The intertidal zone has a distinct ecology and diverse wildlife including clams, crabs, and birds.
The main areas to explore in the park include Jincheng Lake, Haishan Exploration Zone, and Nangang Birdwatching Zone.
The area is usually not too crowded and is a great place to enjoy nature.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Hsinchu such as You can find more tours and activities in Hsinchu such as river tracing, wild hot springs, white water kayaking, backpack rafting, Little Ding Dong Theme Park, Leofoo Village Theme Park, Window on China Theme Park, glamping, camping, stone spa, horse riding, Yukids Island, Tom and Bei Bei Parent Child Paradise, bee keeping experience, cycling, dried persimmons experience, Jump Wave Trampoline Park and more on Klook here or KKday here.

Where to stay:
Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center. If you will only visit downtown, you can consider a day trip from Taipei.
We have stayed at and recommend the Golden Motel a high quality motel near Green Grass Lake (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here), and CD Motel, another high quality motel in downtown Hsinchu (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here). Unfortunately I cannot recommend any further hotels that I have stayed at in Hsinchu because usually we stay at my wife's uncle's house.
You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here.

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How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Drive south along Expressway 61 south of Nanliao Harbor. The wetlands are hard to miss along the coast. If you are looking for car rentals in Hsinchu, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKDay here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
Looking for scooter rental in Hsinchu? You can search Klook here or KKday here to look for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Bus: Take bus 5801 from Hsinchu TRA Station to Dazhuang station along the coast. It's about a 25 minute journey. You can book tickets to travel to Hsinchu via inter-city bus on Klook h ere. You can book tickets to Hsinchu via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.

Map:

Our Journey:

We have been to the Xiangshan Wetlands once, and it was a great outing. The wetlands are truly vast and you are sure to see lots of oyster harvesting and wildlife.

Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

There are also a lot of wind turbines here, utilizing the constant northerly winds. This time we visited the Haishan Exploration Zone which just has this platform, and you can walk down to the mud flats.