Beimen Sunset Salt Bikeway (Beimen Visitor Center to Jingzaijiao Salt Fields)

Length

3 kmSource and notes below

Route shape

One way

Surface

Paved

Traffic

Path with road sections

Level

Easy

Riding time

About 15 min at an easy 14 km/h, not counting stops Estimate ride time

Families

Families: with care

Climbing

Not measuredNo official figure, so none given

Start

Beimen Visitor Center (Southwest Coast National Scenic Area)

Finish

Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields

The map loads here. Official map

Rest stops and stations along the official line

Rest stops

• 下潭雲龍宮 (toilets, drinking water)
• 故宮南院 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, information desk)
• 7-11布鹽門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 7-11新塭門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 港墘派出所 (toilets, drinking water)
• 嘉義車站(兩鐵轉運站) (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, food and drink, map board, first-aid kit, repairs, bike ramps at the station)
• 興安宮 (toilets, drinking water)
• 雲嘉南濱海國家風景區管理處 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, first-aid kit, repairs, information desk)
• 北門遊客中心 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water)
• 義竹分駐所 (toilets, drinking water)
• 7-11新嘉勝門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 高鐵嘉義站 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, food and drink, map board, first-aid kit, information desk)
• 南靖車站 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, food and drink, map board, first-aid kit, repairs, information desk, bike ramps at the station)
• 南靖糖廠 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water)
• 7-11南鯤鯓門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 新塭派出所 (toilets, drinking water)
• 全家東石蚵庄店 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 7-11博元門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink, first-aid kit)
• 布袋分局新店派出所 (toilets, drinking water)
• 7-11東石門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink)
• 春秋武廟 (toilets, accessible toilet, drinking water, repairs)
• 水上分局後堀派出所 (toilets, drinking water)

Train stations that take bikes

• 嘉義 · bike train times
• 水上 · bike train times
• 南靖 · bike train times

Listed by the national cycling portal (MOTC). Services and hours can change: treat these as a guide, not a guarantee.

About the lengthTotal route length in the riding information on the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area's Beimen route page (English and Chinese). The same Chinese page also says 'about 3.5 km' in its description. The national cycling portal's Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan coast multi-route (Chiayi sugar rail and sunset salt) lists the Beimen bikeway as 4 km, about 10 minutes, as its section for seniors and families. Along the portal's line, Jingzaijiao to the 錢來也 shop by the visitor center measures about 2.7 km (Cycle.tw's measurement).

The Southwest Coast National Scenic Area describes this as the sunset salt (夕鹽) section of its multi-purpose bike routes: from the Beimen salt industry area, past the Crystal Church, along the Beimen lagoon and wetlands, to the Jingzaijiao tile-paved salt fields.

Its English page calls Beimen's circular bikeway the only one in Taiwan built around salt industry history, with an AC asphalt surface, guardrails, birdwatching platforms, shade pavilions and seats. The Scenic Area mentions mangroves, salt field ruins beside the path, and birds such as stilts and egrets.

Jingzaijiao still makes salt the traditional way, and the Scenic Area highlights its sunset and the flocks of black-bellied terns in winter. Start at either end: both have YouBike 2.0 stations.

Who it suits

Suits families, first-time visitors and photographers coming for the salt field sunset. It is short, so pair it with the visitor center and the salt fields. Not a training ride, and no train station is nearby.

The route

A ride plan, in order

1. Pick up a YouBike at the Beimen Visitor Center. The Crystal Church and the 錢來也 shop are beside it.
2. Ride the short street section past the Crystal Church to where the shared path begins, then follow it along the Beimen lagoon and wetlands, with old salt fields beside the path.
3. Finish at the Jingzaijiao tile-paved salt fields. Return the bike at the Jingzaijiao YouBike station, or ride back the same way.

Getting there without a car

• There is no train station in Beimen. The Scenic Area's directions from Tainan Station: walk to the north station and take the Blue Trunk Line (藍幹線) bus to Jiali Bus Station, then the Blue 2 (藍2) bus to 北門區公所(水晶教堂); the Beimen Visitor Center is about a 2 minute walk.
• From TRA Chiayi Station (Scenic Area directions): take a train south to Xinying Station, walk to the Xinying bus station, take the Brown Trunk Line (棕幹線) to Xuejia, then the Blue 2 to Beimen.
• From HSR Chiayi Station (Scenic Area directions): take the Orange 9 (橘9) bus to the Xuejia District Office, then the Blue 2 to 北門區公所(水晶教堂). The Scenic Area gives taxi distances of about 42 km from HSR Chiayi and about 35 km from Tainan Station.
• YouBike: the Scenic Area and YouBike's station data list YouBike 2.0 stations at the Beimen Visitor Center (北門里200號, first car park) and at Jingzaijiao (井仔腳64號).

Bringing your own bike: No railway reaches Beimen, and the official bus directions don't say whether these buses carry bikes. Most visitors use YouBike at the route.

• Bike rules on each train and metro

Renting a bike

Verified public bikes: YouBike 2.0 (Tainan) at the Beimen Visitor Center and at Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields. The Scenic Area suggests renting at one end and returning at the other.

• YouBike (Tainan) YouBike微笑單車（臺南市）
  Public bike · Tainan City
  YouBike 2.0 single rental by credit card (no membership) on the Tainan and Kaohsiung rate pages: NT$10 per 30 minutes for the first 4 hours, NT$20 per 30 minutes from 4 to 8 hours, NT$40 per 30 minutes after 8 hours, with a NT$3,000 credit-card pre-authorization. City rider subsidies do not apply to single rentals. Tainan resident-card and TPASS discounts are for members only. YouBike 2.0E (e-assist) single rental: NT$20 per 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, NT$40 per 30 minutes after.
  Website

Confirm hours, rates and availability directly with the provider. Cycle.tw does not take bookings.

• How to rent a bike in Taiwan

Toilets, water and food

Beimen Visitor Center (臺南市北門區北門里舊埕200號, tel 06-7861017) is open 09:00 to 17:30 by the Scenic Area's listing. The portal lists cyclist rest stops with toilets and water at the visitor center, at the Scenic Area headquarters next to it (also first aid and repairs) and at 興安宮 by Jingzaijiao. The Scenic Area's English page mentions shade pavilions and seats along the bikeway.

Safety and conditions

• Sun and wind: the salt fields are open and exposed. Bring water, sun protection and a windproof layer in winter.
• The short stretch past the Crystal Church and the visitor center is on town streets with traffic. Ride slowly and watch for cars.
• Jingzaijiao gets busy at sunset. Walk your bike in crowds, and use lights if you ride back after dark.
• Check the Central Weather Administration forecast before you go. Heavy rain, typhoons and earthquakes close paths, river parks and roads, sometimes for weeks.
• Wear a properly fitted bike helmet, whatever the law says for your bike.

When to go

Late afternoon, to reach Jingzaijiao for the sunset the Scenic Area highlights. Winter brings the black-bellied terns; avoid midday heat in summer.

Nearby and related

• Tainan bikeway planner: connected rides and measured distances from where you start
• Puzi River Bikeway
• Houbi and Baihe Rice and Lotus Bikeway
• Jiayou Rail Trail
• New to riding in Taiwan? Your first ride, city by city
• When to ride: weather by month and events
• Rent by bike type

Emergency: 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance. From a mobile phone, 112 also reaches emergency services.

Printed from https://cycle.tw/routes/beimen-sunset-salt-bikeway/

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