Qigu

Qīgǔ (七股) is a coastal district in southwestern Tainan, home to Guosheng Lighthouse, which marks the westernmost point on the main island of Taiwan. During World War 2, Qigu became the newest and largest salt field in Taiwan, with the Qigu Saltworks eventually spanning 1,976 hectares of sun-drying area; operations continued until May 2002, ending 338 years of solar salt production history in Taiwan. The district is now known for the Qigu Salt Mountain, a 20-meter artificial peak composed of approximately 60,000 tons of salt left over from the former saltworks, and the adjacent Taiwan Salt Museum (臺灣鹽博物館), with its distinctive pyramidal shape serving as a local landmark. Qigu also features Taiwan’s largest lagoon, a critical habitat for the endangered black-faced spoonbill (黑面琵鷺), with conservation efforts centered around the area.