Gaomei Wetlands: How to Get There, Things to Do & Itinerary

Gaomei Wetlands is an ecological preservation zone in Qingshui District of Central Taiwan. Also known as Gaomei Wetland Preservation Area, the wetland is known for its abundant natural resources, beautiful sunset and one of the best day trips from Taichung.

Getting to Gaomei Wetlands without a car isn’t that much of an issue. Solo travellers can take advantage of the public transportation system to get to the wetlands. And if you follow my itinerary, you can plan a day to cycle around the wetlands and maybe include Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour and Luce Memorial Chapel in your day trip itinerary.

Keep reading and find out what you will see at Gaomei Wetlands, how to get there on your own and other things you will see in the area.

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Before you visit Gaomei Wetlands

Before you go to Gaomei in Taichung, take a look at my post on all my best tips for travelling to Taiwan. I included information like how to get a Taiwan tourist SIM card, transportation around the country and more.

And check out more tips on my solo travel guide to Taichung and learn about other attractions in Taichung.

And here are some additional travel tips for visiting the Taichung wetlands:

Get a rechargeable smartcard called EasyCard or iPass. Either card is good for taking the public bus to the Wetlands and also to Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour and Luce Memorial Chapel (if you are following my one-day itinerary)
Many people visit Gaomei during sunset to see the gorgeous sun dipping below the horizon. But it can be really busy. But it is just as much fun visiting Gaomei during the day, where you can rent a bike and explore the area. If you plan your day ahead, you can do both!
Plan to spend to spend a few hours visiting all the attractions around the wetlands especially if you are walking. And also plan extra time to get back to the city as the buses leaving Gaomei is not frequent.

How to get to Gaomei Wetland from Taichung

Gaomei Wetlands is located 28km northwest of Taichung City. The best way to get to the wetlands as a solo traveller is by taking a combination of buses and/or train. The journey will take about 1.5 hour or more (especially on the way back to Taichung due to traffic).

Taichung City Buses and TRA Train

Depending where you start from in Taichung, check the bus schedules on GoogleMaps (the timetables are pretty accurate) and it will tell you the best route going to Gaomei Wetlands at the time of your departure.

Note – the local buses operating around Gaomei Wetlands are not as frequent as buses in Taichung City. So make sure to check the timetable when you plan to leave the wetlands.

Here are the transportation options for going to Gaomei Wetlands:

Bus #309: from Taichung Station to No.18 Windmill Bus Station (the easiest way but infrequent schedule)
Bus #304, #305, #307: buses from city centre that go towards Gaomei Wetlands. Then get on one of the local buses.
Bus #178 & #179: local buses between Gaomei Wetlands and Qingshui Train Station
TRA Train: from Taichung Station to Qingshui Train Station. Then get on one of the local buses.

How to get around Gaomei Wetlands

It is possible to walk around the entire area of Gaomei Wetlands. But a better option is to rent a bicycle.

There is a bike rental south of the visitor centre. A 1-hour electric bike rental costs NT$300 and NT$100 for each hour after. Or if you are travelling with a group, you can rent either a tandem or tricycle. Regular bikes are also available for NT$150 for 3 hours.

I prefer to rent a Youbike because it is cheaper and also you can return it at any time and there are two Youbike locations around the wetlands. A regular Youbike costs NT$10 per 30 minutes in 4 hours and NT$20 per 30 minutes in 4-8 hours. And an electric Youbike costs NT$20 per 30 minutes in 2 hours and NT$40 per 30 minutes over 2 hours.

Youbike at Gaomei Wetlands — Bike rental at Gaomei

Best Things to Do in Gaomei Wetlands: 1-Day Itinerary

The area around Gaomei Wetlands isn’t very big. But exploring the wetlands with a bicycle is definitely more fun. And with two wheels, you can see the following places at a much faster pace (which means you can see other attractions around Taichung, too! More on that later).

1. Gaomei Turbine Avenue and Gaomei Wetland Scenic Bridge

Visitors travelling with public bus should alight at No.18 Windmill Bus Station and this will be the perfect spot to start your itinerary.

Near the bus stop, you can see the a row of turbines on Huangang N. Rd, which is known Gaomei Turbine Avenue. The road continues around the peninsula and reaches Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour.

Then walk across Gaomei Wetland Scenic Bridge. It is a beautiful bridge connecting the wetlands and Taichung Port. The modern structure has an excellent walkway for both pedestrians and cyclists. And there are a few benches where you can enjoy the scenery from the bridge.

2. Gaomei Wetlands Visitor Centre

Once you reach the other end of the bridge on Gaomei Road, find the Youbike rental location near the bus stop. The Youbike station is tucked away and so you’ll have to walk in a bit. Rent a Youbike here instead of a bike rental, as it is cheaper and you can return it at another location later.

And with your Youbike, follow the paved path and go towards Gaomei Wetlands Visitor Centre. The two-storey modern concrete visitor centre is an educational centre with displays and an amphitheatre.

But it was really quiet when I went (both times). I just know there are giant sculptures and it is also a glamping site. And this is also a good spot to use the bathroom if you need it.

Address: No. 8, Meidi St, Qingshui District, Taichung City | Hours: 9am-6pm

3. Gaomei Lighthouse

From the visitor centre, follow the path towards the wetlands. You will see a sign that indicates the bike path, turn left and you will be at the lower side of the embankment (see first picture below – where the one person is walking on). This bike route is called the Seaside Cycling Route.

Then you will approach the entrance of the boardwalk for Gaomei Wetlands. Since you have a bicycle, keep cycling on the path and come back later to see the boardwalk.

Continue biking for as long as you want. The Seaside Cycling Route goes on for awhile and continues onto Gaomei Cycling Route (see bike map near the bottom of the post).

And when you are ready to return to the wetlands, take the same cycle route back. And on the way, you will find Gaomei Lighthouse.

This red and white striped octagonal concrete lighthouse is 38.7m high and was built in 1967. Initially, it was used to guide ships in the area, but it has since been retired in 1982 when the lighthouse lamps were moved to Taichung Port Lighthouse, which it is higher in elevation.

It’s too bad you can’t go up the lighthouse. So snap some photos and continue onwards.

Cycle at the lower part of the embankment

Gaomei Lighthouse — Cycle at the lower part of the embankment

4. Temples and food stalls along Gaomei Road

Continue cycling on Gaomei Road. There is a large Chinese temple called Xi An Chaotian Temple. You can go inside and see the intricate architecture.

Also, there are a few food stalls between the temple and boardwalk entrance area. This is a good place to get a snack if you like.

And in front of the parking lot, there is a Youbike rental location. Return your Youbike here so you can continue this itinerary on foot.

5. Gaomei Wetlands

And finally, this is what you’ve been waiting for: Gaomei Wetlands.

The wetland is actually made up of 300 hectares of grassy, mossy and muddy flat land at the mouth of the Dajia River. The muddy landscape has the perfect balance of sand and soil, which is ideal for many ecological creatures to live in. During low tide, you will find mud-skippers, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans.

While many little creatures live underground, you can also find migratory birds, especially during the fall and winter months. This is an excellent spot for bird watching.

Walk over the embankment and find the entrance to the 800m wavy boardwalk. The pedestrian walkway was built to prevent people from walking on the muddy ground.

Walk as far as you like. I walked all the way to the tip and it just abruptly ends. And the only way back is to backtrack. Pay attention especially when the boardwalk is crowded. Make sure you don’t fall off.

Almost at the end of the boardwalk — Wind turbines at Gaomei Wetlands

Other Things to Do around Gaomei Wetlands

1. Cycle Routes around Gaomei Wetlands

I highly recommend biking along the cycling route in Gaomei Wetlands. I really enjoyed my time around Gaomei Wetlands on a bicycle.

If you follow my day trip itinerary, you would ride your bike on the Seaside Cycling Route from the visitor centre to around the north side of Gaomei Wetlands.

You can continue forward and cycle on the Gaomei Cycling Route. It goes all the way to Taichung Port Train Station where you can return your Youbike.

And if you continue on Dayang Cycling Route or Linhai Rd Cycling Route and Qingshui Cycling Route, it will take you to Qingshui Train Station. There are several Youbike rental locations near the station.

Click on the photo below to enlarge the map. You can see all the details of the bicycle routes. This cycling route map is also all over Gaomei Wetlands.

Seaside Cycling Route (click to enlarge)

2. Option: Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour

Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour is a fishing harbour with a wet market, seafood restaurants, a short promenade and many fishing boats along the shore.

At the wet market, you can walk through aisles of seafood vendors and see fisherman’s daily catch and try the freshest sashimi. There are Taiwanese food like meat buns, bubble tea and much more in the small foodcourt if you don’t like seafood. The food area is also an excellent place to buy food souvenirs like dried squid which is wildly popular in Taiwan.

You only need about an hour or less to see everything at Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour. I recommend visiting the harbour only if you are visiting Gaomei Wetlands and you like seafood. Otherwise, it might be disappointing if you come all the way to the shore and there’s only a few things to see.

How to get to Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour from Gaomei Wetlands: take Bus #679 or #688 at No.18 Windmill Bus Stop (same bus stop as going to the wetlands but across the road) to Wuqi Fishing Port. Check the bus schedule on GoogleMaps – the bus schedule is infrequent.

3. Option: Luce Memorial Chapel

Luce Memorial Chapel is a Christian chapel honouring Rev. Henry W. Luce, an American missionary in China in the late 19th century. The modern chapel on the Tunghai University campus is a popular spot for photography and weddings.

If you are a modern contemporary architecture lover, you will appreciate the chapel’s design. The structure stands on an irregular hexagonal base, with a curvy tent-like structure made of reinforced concrete acting as the walls and roof of the chapel. The continuous external structure comprises repeating yellow glazed diamond-shaped tiles, which resemble the diamond-shaped lattice interior walls.

You could visit the modern chapel after visiting Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour or on the way home from Gaomei Wetland. Similar to the advice I gave for visiting the fishing harbour, only visit Luce Memorial Chapel if you are into modern architecture otherwise it is a long way to see a small building.

How to go to Luce Memorial Chapel from Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour: take Bus #307 to Veterans General Hospital / Tunghai University. Then walk 8 minutes into the campus and find the chapel on the left-hand side.

Is Gaomei Wetland worth visiting as a solo traveller

Would I go to Gaomei Wetlands knowing what I know after visiting the wetlands (in both 2019 and 2024)? Hmm, I’m not sure.

I would only recommend going to Gaomei if you really enjoy the outdoors and seeing different biodiversity and wildlife. Plus, it is a fun half day trip if you are seeing the wetlands with a bicycle.

And I would only include Wuqi Fisherman’s Harbour and Luce Memorial Chapel in the itinerary because you are already in the area and you like seafood and/or modern architecture.

I say all of this because the wetlands are pretty far from Taichung City and it takes anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours to get there as you need to take either two buses or a combination of train and bus. So make sure you really want to spend the time out there and have time to spare during your time in Taichung.

And if you have been to Gaomei Wetlands, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below.

Ready to plan your trip to Taichung? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner
* Book accommodation: find the best Taichung accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance, collect it upon arrival, and set up your mobile phone before arriving at your destination. Or find out how and where to get a SIM Card in Taiwan.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours in Taichung.

Thank you for reading my post on Gaomei Wetland

I have many posts on Taiwan, and you might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan:

Introduction to Taiwan

Central Taiwan posts

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queenie mak

Hi, my name is Queenie, and I’ve been a solo traveller for 20+ years and currently based in Hong Kong. Follow me on my adventures through Instagram and my blog!

Gaomei Wetlands: How to Get there, Things to Do & Itinerary

Before you visit Gaomei Wetlands