Along that stretch of bicycle path, you can see very many little egrets, Oriental ibises, and various species of sea birds. I've posted eight other photos of little egrets seen at this spot, as well as photos of little egrets I've seen elsewhere. (Click here.)
It's hard to believe that this picture was taken only a 20-minute bicycle ride from the 25th largest city in the world. What's more, among nations with populations of a million or more people, Taiwan is the second most densely populated country in the world. It's population density is second only to that of Bangladesh.
The photo on the left is a gray heron. After zooming in as far as my little digital camera would go, I used Photoshop to zoom in further. It was more than 200 yards from me. I rather hurriedly took the blurry photo on the right. I'd never seen a bird like that one before or since, and I've not yet been able to identify it.
As you approach the city of Guandu, the Guandu Temple is the first thing you notice.
Crossing a little bridge, you see fishing boats to the left and the Guandu Temple just ahead.
The photo above is a detail from the Guandu Temple. Below are birds and birds and birds for whom Guandu Temple is both home and a social venue.
People and pigeons gather in the open area across a narrow street from the Guandu Temple. Pigeons, by nature, are cliff-dwelling birds. Since pigeons don't care that there's a difference between cliffs and tall buildings, they proliferate in cities many miles from cliffs.
Leaving the Guandu Temple area, we come to the Guandu Wharf and Ferry. In times past, people wishing to travel between the south and north (a.k.a. left and right) banks of the Danshui River had to travel by ferry. After the Guandu Bridge was built in 1983, the ferry business died out. With the development of the Danshui wetlands and riverbank, the Guandu ferry has enjoyed a renaissance as a tourist attraction.
Beyond the ferry lie the Guandu wetland and the Guandu Bridge.
This is the approach to the Danshui River Mangrove Nature Reserve. In the photo at right is the entrance to a footpath. There, nature lovers can get a little closer to wetlands inhabitants without having to watch out for speeding bicycles or be disturbed by the sounds of bicycles rumbling across the boardwalk.
Here are a map and a set of rules for enjoying the Danshui River Mangrove Nature Reserve. The spot below is a civilized area just before the bicyclist returns to the reserve. The last time I visited the place, the flowers had been removed.
For centuries, Danshui (the name means "fresh water," as opposed to salt water) was a sleepy fishing village. It's no longer a village and it's no longer sleepy. It is, however, much more relaxed than Taipei. Danshui has managed to retain its rusticity even as it was developed to make it a more attractive tourist spot. These pictures were taken on a Saturday. Some weekends, it's more crowded.
A row of traditional fishing boats lie moored—mute testimony to a centuries-old tradition that continues to this day. Only a few steps away, shopkeepers and food-stand operators ply day trippers with sea shells, hand-made items, ice cream, and other items that draw tourists to Danshui.
A fishing village still stands, just across a tidal stream from the rustic shops and stores of the scenic Golden Riverside area. Here is the village at low tide.Below are different views of the mangrove reserve and mud flats, taken on my way back from Danshui.
Mangroves, mountains, mud flats, grassy slope, river, sky, and cityscape. The city of Bali can be seen from across the Danshui River.
Below, the Guandu Ferry and a map of the biking trail.
For more information on Taipei County's wetlands, see the web site for the Taipei County Sustainable Development Education Center (Click here.)
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