Xiangshan Train Station

Xiangshan Train Station (香山車站)

I’ve probably said this a million times over the years, but if you weren’t already aware, Taiwan is probably one of the most convenient countries in the world to live in. Almost everywhere you want to go and everything you want to do is done quickly, efficiently and with little fuss.

This is something that constantly amazes the foreigners who come here as most of us aren’t used to anything that even remotely resembles Taiwanese efficiency in our home countries. 

When I tell my Taiwanese friends how awesome this is, they just shrug their shoulders. People here just expect things to be done quickly and efficiently. 

I could cite numerous examples, but I think one of the easiest ways to explain this is through the example of public transportation.

Getting around the country is easy and there are a bunch of options that allow you to safely and quickly get to wherever you want to go. 

Today, you can go from Taipei to Kaohsiung on the High Speed Rail in less than ninety minutes. This isn’t because Taiwan is a small country, it isn’t. A decade ago, the same trip might have taken four or five hours. 

Before that, I’m sure it would have taken even longer. 

The same goes for the highways - Initially the National Highway was a two lane road that connected the north to the south. Today there is a vast network of highways, expressways and elevated freeways that allow people to get where they’re going much faster. 

Less than five years ago, the highways had toll stations that slowed people down and caused traffic congestion. So what was done? An electronic sensor system was created to replace the toll booths, which were completely removed. 

A little over a century ago however, none of this was even imaginable. 

The Chinese considered Taiwan ‘an unimportant mound of dirt’ and had little interest in developing much of anything in their short time controlling portions of the island.

In 1893, a rudimentary rail track was laid between Keelung and Hsinchu for ox-pulled carts. At that time though, a trip around the country wasn’t really even something that people thought about. 

Then, in 1895 the Japanese took control of Taiwan and quickly put into motion a set of plans that laid the foundations for much of the convenience and efficiency that we enjoy today. 

Shortly after taking control of Taiwan, the Japanese started a massive project to connect the entire country with a modern railway. 

It goes without saying that there were many nefarious incidents that took place during the contraction of the railroad. And yeah, as a colonial government, the Japanese weren’t just developing a railroad out of the goodness of their hearts.

The railway became instrumental in boosting Taiwan’s economy and ensuring that the colonial government was able to get important commodities such as coal, sugar, timber and gravel to port where it could all be shipped back to Japan. 

Nevertheless, the end result was something that completely changed the landscape of the island. Once the the rail network was completed and the economy was stabilized, urbanization and development soon followed. Many of Taiwan’s cities started to take form with the local train station more often than acting as the heartbeat of the modern Taiwanese city.

The importance of the railway in Taiwan’s modern history cannot be understated - Many factors contributed to what would become Taiwan’s economic miracle, but the existence of a fully functional railway system was instrumental in Taiwan’s path to becoming the highly-developed country that it is today.

Unfortunately one of the issues with the push for development and modernization here is that older buildings often fall victim to those efforts. In the past few years alone, historic stations in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Keelung Stations have been replaced with much larger modern stations and this is something that has happened all over the country with smaller stations.

It’s a rare treat these days that you’re actually able to find a century-old train station still in use in Taiwan as there are only a handful of them still in operation.

Fortunately one of them is close to home and is an absolute pleasure to visit! 

Xiangshan Train Station (香山車站) 

In 1899 (明治三十二年), The Governor’s Office established the Railway Bureau (臺灣總督府交通局鐵道部) and started construction on the network of railroads that would eventually encircle the entire island.  

By 1902 (明治三十五年), the Shinchiku (新竹) to Nakaminato (中港) line was completed, providing the people of “Shinchuku” (Hsinchu), one of Taiwan’s most populous areas at the time with public transport and a stop at “Kozan Village“ (香山庄) was included.

The line, which in today’s terms stretched from Hsinchu (新竹) - Zhunan (竹南) was a strategically important one, because “Nakaminato” (Zhunan), which translates as “Central Harbour”, served as an important port for the export of goods at that time. 

The original “Kozan Train Station” (香山驛), was a small one and as traffic on the railway increased was replaced in 1928 (昭和三年) with the building that we currently see today.

At that time, additional warehouses and railway dormitories were included as there were plans to further expand the railway to a dual-track system within the next few years. 

Quite a bit changed in Taiwan over the next few decades, but from 1928 until 1989, things pretty much stayed the same at the station.

In 1990, freight and express trains service was put to an end at the station and it was converted into a ‘Simple Platform Station’ (簡易站) under the management of Hsinchu Train Station.

What this meant was that the station would only be serviced by Local Commuter Trains (區間車) and that it would no longer be necessary to have a Station Manager (站長) on site at all times. 

Then in 2013, the station underwent a year-long renovation project to restore the station to its original condition and ensure that it was structurally sound.

One of the reasons why a restoration project became necessary was because at some point, some weirdo had the idea to paint over the natural color of the beautiful Taiwanese cypress used to construct the station into a gross shade of beige - A sorry attempt to hide the fact that the station was constructed using Japanese architectural design. 

The reason for this shouldn’t really be a big surprise as the colonial regime that took control of Taiwan after the Second World War wasn’t a big fan of anything to do with Japan.

The end result of the painting of the station and the attempt to cover up the original design made the station quite a sad sight. Fortunately it has been restored back to its original design and the paint has been removed.  

Today the station is a local historic protected property and it‘s not likely that we’ll see much in terms of ‘modernization’ taking place, which thankfully means that this beautiful train station should be around for quite a while longer as a living testament to Taiwan’s railway history.

Even though Xiangshan Station is considered a smaller station, the number of passengers passing through the gates at the station has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. In 2001, only 82,000 passed through the station, exponentially increasing to 393,000 in 2018. 

This is likely due to a growing number of people moving out of the expensive Hsinchu city centre to the ever-growing Xiangshan District in addition to all the weekend tourist traffic coming to visit the nearby Xiangshan Wetlands

Design

As mentioned above, the current Xiangshan Station dates back to 1928 (昭和3年), and even though it was restored only a few years ago, it has generally remained in pretty good shape over the past ninety years. 

In the official literature you will see that the building covers an area of about “44 square meters”, which might make you think it’s pretty small. The reason for this is that the measurement of buildings in Taiwan is done using an old system leftover from the Japanese Colonial Era that uses “ping” (坪) instead of metric square meters. 

Basically a “ping” is the traditional size of a tatami mat (畳), which is about 3.306 m2. 

So in metric, the building is actually around 145 square meters. 

One of the things that makes Xiangshan Station unique is that it is the only active station remaining in Taiwan that was constructed using Taiwanese Cypress (台灣檜木), also known as “Hinoki” in Japan. 

If you weren’t already aware, Taiwanese cypress is highly prized and extremely expensive. It is highly-regarded for its resistance to decay and its amazing fragrance. The trees are so highly respected here that the oldest are protected national treasures, often referred to as “God Trees” (神木). 

The roof is typical of Japanese architectural design and is covered with beautiful black tiles (黑瓦) and was constructed using the ‘Irimoya-zukuri’ (入母屋造) style. These terms may not make much sense to most people, so what it means is that it was constructed using the Japanese version of a ‘hip-and-gable’ roof. 

With this specific style of roof, there is a main section known as the “moya” (母屋) covering the central core of the building, while the ‘hipped’ portion known as “hisashi” (廂) extends to the outside veranda, giving it a 3D effect. 

The genius in this style of design is that the roof is often much larger than the base and is too heavy to be supported by the main structure of the building. The weight of the roof is evenly distributed using a network of beams to ensure its stability.

Likewise the front ‘hisashi’ section is supported by four beams with brackets on each that help distribute the weight.

To the right of the main entrance, the lower part of the roof extends a bit further to allow for some roof-covered space for people who are waiting at the station. The extension is likewise supported by an intricate network of cypress beams.

If you visit the station, or any other historic Japanese building in Taiwan for that matter, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking a few minutes to check out the genius of the roof design, which in most cases is done without the use of a single nail.

As I mentioned above, prior to the restoration project, someone had the brilliant idea to paint the beautiful cypress an ugly shade of beige and cover the ‘hisashi’ portion of the roof with an an even uglier sign that read: “Xiangshan Station.” 

Now that the station has been restored to its original condition, you can enjoy the beautiful colour of the cypress and the design of the roof, which was covered to childishly obscure the fact that the building was of Japanese design.

The interior of the building is simple and relies mostly on natural sunlight coming through the beautiful windows from the entrance, exit and on the side.

There isn’t actually a whole lot to see inside as the interior consists of a single room that allowing people to pass through the gate to the train platform or to exit the station.

There is a single ticket window where you can buy tickets from the station employees, but most people instead to just use their EasyCard to pass through. 

While inside the building you can sit on the cypress bench and enjoy the simplicity of the building as the mid-section of the wall is covered in cypress tiles while the top is painted in a typical Japanese colour of off-white. 

Once you pass through the gates, you’ll have to walk up the newly constructed skywalk, to the platform that will take you north or south.

The great thing about the skywalk is that it allows you to check out the beautiful roof of the building from above.

Getting There

 

Address: #2, Alley 347, Lane 2, Section 5, Zhonghua Road, Xiangshan District. Hsinchu City. (新竹市香山區中華路五段347巷2弄2號)

How is one to get to Xiangshan Train Station?

You take the train, of course.

The fact that you can still take a train to one of the nations oldest train stations is something quite special, so you should definitely take the train. 

You do however have other options for getting there. 

The station is located only two stops south of Hsinchu Train Station and takes only eight minutes to get there, so if you’re already in the area you shouldn’t have much of a problem hopping on a train.  

As a smaller station however, Xiangshan isn’t serviced by every train headed south, so if you want to visit, you’ll need to make sure that you get on one of the silver Local Trains (區間車). 

Even though Xiangshan is a small coastal district just outside of Hsinchu City, it is also home to the popular Xiangshan Wetlands (香山濕地) and the historic Xiangshan Mazu Temple (香山天后宮), both of which are a short bike ride or walk from the station.

Generally, the majority of the tourists who visit the historic station are usually only doing so to make their way toward the wetlands, so if you’re planning a trip to the area, you should definitely take some time to appreciate both. 

If you’ve got your own means of transportation, but you still want to check out the historic station, simply copy the address provided above into your GPS or Google Maps. 

The station is located in an alleyway and there isn’t much room for cars, so if you’re driving, it’s a good idea to avoid driving into the alley because you might get stuck and cause a scooter traffic jam.  

Likewise, if you’re only in the area to check out the wetlands and opted to take the bus, I still recommend stopping by the station.

The buses all stop a short distance away, so you can easily walk in and grab a YouBike while appreciating the beauty of the station. 

Just across the street from Hsinchu Station you’ll find a large bus stop where you can take any of the following buses: #5801, #5802, #5803, #5804, #5807 or #5823 to the Xiangshan Station bus stop.  

There are only a handful of train stations constructed during Taiwan’s Japanese Colonial Era that are still in service today - and this is the only one built of cypress. 

So, if you’re a history nerd like I am, this vibrant little station is well worth a visit. 

The fact that it is still in such good shape after almost a century of use goes to show that the Japanese don’t really mess around when they construct something.

Sure, there have been some modern additions to the station and it has recently been restored, but the station has successfully stood the test of time and continues to serve the people of Xiangshan today. 


Xiangshan Wetlands (香山濕地)

As a subtropical island nation, Taiwan is home to a wide variety of diverse ecosystems at sea, on its coastline and in its high mountain forests - The warm climate, in addition to the abundance of rain and rivers that flow from the mountains to the ocean makes for an especially rich environment suitable for wetland ecosystems.

There are so many wetlands here that it’s difficult to keep track of them all, but it goes without saying that their importance cannot be understated. Taiwan’s environment thrives thanks to its wetlands.

Not only are the wetlands home to rich biodiversity, they are considered “biological supermarkets”, which are instrumental in helping to clean up the water supply, preventing shoreline erosion, storing flood waters, etc. 

Generally speaking, wetlands provide beneficial services for wildlife and humans alike, but more importantly help to care care of the tremendous task of cleaning up the mess that we’ve caused.

Unfortunately due to the pervasive threat of climate change, over-development and pollution, the health of Taiwan’s wetland ecosystems is constantly under threat which has ramifications for the entire country in ways that few people actually realize. 

Fortunately, this is a situation that the Taiwanese government takes seriously (and/or pays lip service to) and since 2007, an increasing number of “protected” wetland areas have been established around the country.

But is it too late to combat and reverse decades, if not centuries of mismanagement and damage?

Of the over one hundred already established wetland reserves, two have been classified as “International Level” (國際級濕地), fifty-one “National Level” (國家級濕地), forty “Local Level” (地方級濕地) and seven are “Provisional Local Level” (未定濕地), comprising a total of 56,860 hectares of land. 

To assist in further identifying the status of those various wetlands, within each group you’ll find sub-divisions, which differentiate each of them based on their level of protection and ecological importance. These sub-divisions are classified as “core conservation”, “ecological restoration”, “environmental education” and “management services” (人工濕地). 

These classifications have been instrumental in allowing the government to restrict access to certain protected wetlands as well as issue hefty fines to those who infringe upon their conservation progress.

Fortunately some of them have also been opened up for educational tourism and have become quite popular in recent years. 

Links: Taiwan Wetlands Chart 台灣濕地列表 (Wiki)

Wetland Conservation Act takes effect in Taiwan (Taiwan Today)

Since the Wetland Conservation Act came into effect effect in 2013, quite a few of the areas that have been opened up for tourism have become popular destinations - Gaomei (高美濕地) in Taichung and Sicao (四草濕地) in Tainan in particular seem to be on the radar of almost every tourist in Taiwan.

This means that any business or tourist attraction near one of these popular environmental tourist destinations is likely to reap the benefits of the crowds of weekend tourists looking to enjoy their days.

Local governments would be foolish not to cash on this, so in recent years we have seen quite a few initiatives to create sustainable tourism solutions in and around the wetland areas (where tourism is permitted) in an attempt to attract tourists, and of course all of the money that they spend! 

If you ask me, easily one of the most successful of these projects has been at Hsinchu’s Xiangshan Wetlands, which currently boasts a number of tourist attractions as well as a seventeen kilometer-long coastal bike path that allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the wetlands in an environmentally friendly way.    

Xiangshan Wetlands (香山濕地) 

The Xiangshan Wetlands, located in southern Hsinchu, are a 1,768 hectare coastal wetland reserve that features beautiful coastal landscapes and an amazing amount of biodiversity.

Currently classified as a National Level Wetland (國家級), the fifteen kilometer stretch of coastal land has been a protected nature reserve since it was listed as part of the Eastern Asia-Pacific Water Bird Protection Network (東亞水鳥保護網) by the Ramsar Convention in 1996. Then in 2001, the government designated the wetlands as a Major Wildlife Habitat and Coastal Wildlife Refuge (新竹市濱海野生動物保護區).

If you’re keeping track, this predates the 2013 Wetland Conservation Act by seventeen years. 

Link: Ramsar Convention (Wiki) | Ramsar Organization

Even though the largest portion of the wetlands are situated along a long stretch of coast near the border with Miaoli (苗栗縣), the protected area also includes the Keya Estuary (客雅溪口), and Jincheng Lake (金城湖), which is just south of another popular tourist attraction, the Nanliao Fishing Harbour (南寮漁港). 

A map of things to see and places to visit at Hsinchu's Xiangshan Wetlands. www.goteamjosh.com/blog/xiangshi

If you were wondering why the Xiangshan Wetlands have been protected longer than many of Taiwan’s other wetland areas, there is actually a very simple answer to that question: 

The wetlands are frequented by at least 277 different species of birds, encompassing almost 45% of the bird species in Taiwan, making it a bird-lovers paradise.

More importantly though, almost thirty of those species are on currently on the conservation list, and several others are listed as endangered, making their protection extremely important. 

Birds of Note: Chinese Egret (唐白鷺), Black-faced Spoonbill (黑面琵鷺), Spotted Greenshank (諾氏鷸), Peregrine Falcon (遊隼), Formosa Blue Magpie (台灣藍鵲), etc. 

Now, you might be asking yourself why so many birds are attracted to the wetlands, well, that’s also a very simple answer - There’s a wealth of food for them to eat. 

The Xiangshan Wetlands are home to over fifty species of crabs, including the endangered Taiwan fiddler Crab (台灣招潮蟹) and millions of Ghost crabs (斯氏沙蟹) Blue Crabs (兵蟹).

You’ll also find large habitats of shrimp, mussels, clams and the largest oyster farm in Northern Taiwan, making the wetlands a veritable buffet for Taiwan’s birds.

Unfortunately, even though the government has protected the wetlands and come up with ways to promote sustainable tourism, there are still a number of issues that need to be addressed.

The continued decline in the population of Taiwan Fiddler Crabs, and other endangered species, in addition to the amount of trash that is left behind by weekend crowds are persistent issues that need to be resolved. 

From my personal experience though, when someone even considers walking on the beach, especially in the protected area where the crabs make their home, authorities are quick to appear with loud speakers to make them instantly rethink what they’re doing.

Visitors checking out the crabs.

What is there to see and do while visiting the Xiangshan Wetlands

There are a number of activities and things to see while visiting the wetlands and a trip to the area doesn’t necessarily just mean that you’re going to see a patch of the coast before simply heading back home.

As I mentioned above, the number one thing to do while at the wetlands is to bike up and down the coastal pedestrian path, which allows you to visit a number of scenic attractions along the wetlands. The relatively new path is a popular weekend destination and you’ll often find families riding from one end to the other.  

Link: 17 Kilometers Coastline Scenic Area (taiwan.net

Not only will you be able to check out the wetlands, but you’ll also find beautiful mangroves, river estuaries, beaches, fishing harbors, bird-watching platforms, lakes and beautiful pedestrian bridges. 

Don’t have a bicycle? Never fear, you can easily rent one at the Nanliao Fishing Harbour or grab a Youbike at the Xiangshan Railway Station (香山車站).

Bike path along the wetlands.

Starting from Nanliao Harbour and traveling south, you’ll want to check out the following locations: 

  • Nanliao Beach (南寮海灘)

  • Jincheng Lake (金城湖) 

  • The Rainbow Bridge(s) (彩虹橋)

  • Xiangshan Mangrove Park (香山紅樹林公園)

  • The Crab-Viewing Platform (賞蟹步道)

  • Xiangshan Tian Hou Temple (香山天后宮)

  • Haishan Beach (海山海灘)

  • Haishan Fishing Harbour (海山漁港) 

  • Hugang Temple (護港宮)

  • Xiangshan’s Harp Bridge (香山豎琴橋)

Jincheng Lake (金城湖)

If you’re into bird-watching or bird-photography, Jincheng Lake is arguably one of the best destinations in the entire country to practice your sport. 

As I mentioned above, the Xiangshan Wetlands are frequented by almost half of the bird species in Taiwan, so a stop by the lake while you’re riding around the wetlands is highly recommended, even just for a few minutes. 

The lake features a bird-watching platform just off of the bike path where you’re able to set up a tripod to take photos or just watch some of the birds hanging out at the lake.

It’s at this point though that I must mention that despite being a valued partner of BirdLife International, an UK-based bird conservation NGO for well over two decades, Taiwan was recently kicked out of the group due to pressure from China. Why play politics over bird conservation you might ask?

Well, University of Ottawa Professor, Scott Simon at Canada’s Centre for International Policy Studies explains it quite well:

BirdLife asked the Taiwanese partner to change their official Chinese name and to sign a document promising to neither promote the independence of Taiwan from China nor to advocate the legitimacy of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name). It didn’t matter that the Federation had never taken a political stance on Taiwan’s status. It didn’t matter that they had already changed their English name three times at the behest of BirdLife, even twisting facts to alter the name from “Wild Bird Federation Taiwan” to “Chinese Wild Bird Federation” in 2007. BirdLife wouldn’t even give them time, as a democratically run NGO, to debate this at the Annual General Meeting. They simply kicked them out of the nest. 
— Scott Simon, Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies. University of Ottawa

Egrets nesting on the wetlands.

The ramifications for Taiwan’s removal from the international bird conservation group may end up having little effect on the bird-watching you’ll experience while visiting the Xiangshan Wetlands, but it is yet another example of China’s international bullying tactics which are meant to suppress Taiwan’s ability to cooperate with like-minded partners around the world. So, while we humans might be carving up artificial borders, it’s the fate of migratory birds that is at stake, and unfortunately it seems that the worlds largest bird conservation group is only interested in putting politics ahead of actual conservation.

Taiwan’s Wild Bird Federation now has the tremendous task of helping to protect the birds that call Taiwan home, so if you are enjoying the bird-watching at the wetlands, or anywhere else in Taiwan for that matter, make sure to give them your appreciation!

Related Links:

Ruffled Feathers: Why Chinese Interference in International Bird Conservation is a Threat to World Peace (Centre for International Policy Studies)

Taiwan’s Bird Conservation Group Expelled From BirdLife International (TNL)

Leak reveals UK partner severed Taiwan bird society over 'secession' fears (Telegraph)

The Taiwan Wild Bird Federation (TWBF)

Crab-Viewing Platform (賞蟹步道)

If there is anywhere where you’re going to get yelled at for being a dumbass, this is the place. 

It is probably also one of the most Instagrammable spots in Hsinchu.

The crab-viewing platform is a beautifully designed boardwalk that extends out onto the wetlands, about a meter above the ground and allows you to check out the millions of crabs going about their business.

If you get it in your head that you can just hop off the boardwalk and bother the crabs, you’ll quickly receive a lesson in ‘losing face’ (丟臉) as you’ll be reprimanded over loud speakers. 

And you may even receive a fine. 

With that being said, the boardwalk is a thing of beauty and I guarantee that you’ll enjoy it.

Although it may appear like there are millions of crabs below you, it‘s important to remember that some of them are actually endangered - In fact, almost 75% of the total population of Taiwan Fiddler Crabs (the ones with the one awkwardly huge claw) make their home at this wetland, so it is of the utmost importance that they’re not disturbed.

Haishan Beach (海山海灘) 

Haishan Beach, which is next to Haishan Fishing Harbour, and a large pier is an area in the southern-most area of the wetland where you’re actually able to walk on the beach. 

When the tide is out, you’ll easily be able to see some of the aquaculture oyster farms near the pier and will often find families digging in the black sand for shellfish.

There are well maintained public washrooms nearby and also an area near the pier where you can wash the sand off of your feet. 

The beach is great for taking a wide-open photo of the wetland as it curves around the coast, so if you’re looking for some nice landscape photos, you’ll probably want to stop by for a few minutes.

Likewise, the pier next to the beach is quite long and you’re able to walk or bike to the end where there are benches and areas to watch the fishermen leaving the port. 

It’s also a great place to watch the sunset. 

Getting to the Xiangshan Wetlands

No, you don’t take a boat.

The Xiangshan Wetlands are situated along the southern coast of Hsinchu and as I mentioned above are part of a popular and convenient outdoor recreation area set up by the local government.

Getting to the wetlands is relatively easy as they are located along the Western Coastal Expressway (西部濱海公路) and are accessible by car, scooter, bus, train and bicycle. 

With so much to see along the long stretch of coast, most tourists elect to make use of public transportation rather than driving, but if you do drive, there is also an ample amount of parking for your cars and scooters. 

If you elect to take the public option, you can easily take the train to the historic century-old Xiangshan Train Station and once you’re there simply renting a bicycle to go exploring. 

It’s important to remember though that only the silver Local Trains (區間車) stop at this particular station, so if you mistakenly get on one of the faster ones you’ll find yourself heading further south than you intended.

From Hsinchu Station you’ll get on a local train heading south.

Xiangshan Station is two stops away and should only takes about eight minutes to get there. 

For those of you coming from anywhere north of Hsinchu, you won’t have to change to another train if you make sure that you get on a local train that doesn’t terminate at Hsinchu Station. 

If you prefer to take a bus, from Hsinchu Station you can take: #5801, #5802, #5803, #5804, #5807 or #5823 from Zhongzheng Road (中正路) across the street from the station where you’ll get off at Xiangshan Station. 

Note: The bus stops at Xiangshan Station, so you can either walk to the wetlands from there or grab a Youbike next to the station and ride over.

If on the other hand you prefer to start your trip at Nanliao Harbour, you can take the BL15 Shuttle ($NT 15) across from Hsinchu Station on Zhongzheng Road. 

Taking into consideration that one of the most important attractions along Hsinchu’s 17km Coastal Bike Path (十七公里海岸線), if you visit on the weekend, you’re going to share the experience with quite a few others riding their bikes along the scenic pathway.

Prices for non-Youbike rentals might also be a little more expensive on the weekend, but generally range between NT$100-200 for the day for a single-seat bicycle. 

And yes, they also have bicycles that will fit your entire family.  

Most people choose to start their bike ride from the Nanliao Fishery Harbour where you’re easily able to park your car or scooter or get off of a bus. There are a number of vendors there who will battle for your business when it comes to bicycle rentals, which come in several different sizes. 

If you’re not looking for a long bike ride down the beautiful coast and just want to check out the wetlands, you can easily grab a Youbike in front of Xiangshan Train Station and be at the wetlands in a matter of minutes. 

Some of you might prefer to walk, but I do highly recommend that you grab a bike so that you can see and do more while you’re there!

The Xiangshan Wetlands are a great option for a morning or afternoon trip and the great thing about them is that you are able to check out some amazing coastal landscapes, while also getting some exercise riding down the coast. 

If you’re looking for something to do, I highly recommend hopping on a train to the historic Xiangshan Train Station, grabbing a bike and checking out the wetlands. 

Obviously, it goes without saying that the government needs to keep working hard to improve the environmental situation at the wetlands - This means that it’s important that they continue to ensure that the endangered and conserved species that make their home there are protected and allowed to thrive.

You can do your part by contributing to sustainable tourism and making sure that you’re not leaving garbage behind or walking on the protected areas or interfering with the wildlife.

Understanding these important ecosystems is important to the overall sustainability of life on this beautiful island nation, so if you can visit and learn something and get some exercise at the same time, it should probably be a pretty productive day out.