The sound of the wind
Advancing farther along Highway 2, one comes to the first cape along the North Coast: Linshanbi. A remnant of an eruption of the Datun volcano group some 800,000 years ago, this narrow peninsula is a masterpiece of nature extending out into the Taiwan Strait.
The Linshanbi Recreation Area, located at the highway’s 23 kilometer marker, is a highlight of the journey. A small path next to it leads to the Linshanbi fishing harbor. When you look out to sea, the tree-lined Linshanbi Trail is on your right.
Here one finds many common coastal plants, such as sea hibiscus, night-scented lily, shell ginger, Angelica hirsutiflora, Japanese dock, sea mango, and Sedum formosanum, as well as dark gray igneous rocks formed by volcanic eruptions. The long exposure to ocean waves and the harsh northeasterly monsoon winds has created “ventifacts,” which are wind-cut rocks. “They are quite unlike other rocks,” Zhang explains. “They have large, multiple faces, with ridged edges between the faces and corners where the edges meet—hence their Chinese name: ‘wind edge stone.’”
The beach on the other side of the harbor offers a different kind of scene. To the left, the cycling boardwalk extends 10 km. Because it connects Sanzhi with Shimen, it is called the Fengzhimen Boardwalk, with feng meaning “wind,” and zhi and men being the same characters as are found in those place names. Nearby are two large algal reefs covered with green algae that provide truly special scenery.
Formed by the deposition of calcareous material from the cells of algae and growing at a rate of under one centimeter per year, these giant algal reefs are precious natural features. Yet, construction of the Linshanbi fishing harbor has damaged their ecologies to some degree—despite attempts to leave the reefs undisturbed during construction.
When the tide pulls out, you can see large expanses of exposed reef in the intertidal zone. During springtime, these treasures of our natural inheritance appear almost to be dyed green in places, at the spots where sea lettuce, a kind of green algae, grows. Although sea lettuce is edible and even an ingredient used in Chinese herbal medicines, “to modern people its flavor is too fishy,” says Zhang. He notes that back when Taiwan was largely an agricultural society, locals would gather the algae to feed to pigs.
The wooden boardwalk provides a simple coastal path to head toward Sanzhi. Jay Chou’s music video “Secret” was filmed here. By word of mouth, cyclists have learned to take this route on their return to avoid having to pedal uphill, and to be able to enjoy cycling in more wild environs. Eventually, the route connects to regular roads that lead back to Highway 2.
Strangely shaped “ventifacts” are the result of wind and water eroding volcanic stone.