Chigu Salt Mountain
Chigu Salt Mountain
3
About
The Taiwan Salt Company has turned a four-story-high pile of salt into a tourist attraction.
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The area
Neighborhood: Beimen Area II
This part is the more populous and busier district along the coast in western Tainan. It was one of the places where the Siraya people, Taiwan’s plains aborigines called home. Extending from Jiali, Soulangh Cultural Park is the centre of culture and art in the area. The exhibitions in the warehouses at the sugar refinery integrates local culture.
The Ye Wang Koji ceramics in Jhensing Temple in Jiali District are listed as national historical monuments and have significance in terms of history, culture, and art.
Sigang is rich in flax. The Grand Sigang Bridge that stretches over Zengwun River has gained the reputation as being the No.1 bridge in Tainan. The Sigang Procession is performed every three years and regarded as the No.1 procession rituals in Taiwan. The procession integrates both pestilence and procession rituals, and is a crucial religious ceremony in the coastal regions. The impressive procession reaches a climax when the king boat (a boat that is said to carry a king/god and rids a place of plague and evil spirits ) is set ablaze to scare off plagues.
With regard to Cigu, it features white and soaring high salt mountains and Taiwan salt museum, which looks like a white pyramid. The ecology along the coast and the sand banks depict the changes in Tainan’s lagoons over the course of history. Cigu has abundant seafood and makes an essential habitat for black-faced spoonbills and migratory birds. To taste the freshest seafood, this is the place!
Best nearby
Restaurants
4 within 3 miles
Attractions
11 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
3.0
170 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
39
Average
75
Poor
29
Terrible
11
Traveler49423
Holland, MI54 contributions
Mar 2016
Salt Mountain is a huge pile of sea salt which is the center of attraction at this traditional Taiwanese amusement park. Taiwanese friends treated me to a brief stop for ice cream at one of the concessions and a hike up the man made steps up the salt "mountain" for photos and a view of the area. The steps are a little irregular in height and tend to wear away as a result of so many "climbers." Climbing the steps would be a challenge for older visitors. I was the only Westerner at the park during my brief visit (45 to 60 minutes is enough for ice cream and photos).
Written April 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LBTEO
Singapore244 contributions
Jan 2016 • Solo
I went on a weekday in january 2016 where there are no crowd. As the company is changing/renovate the salt mountain, we are not allowed to climb the salt mountain. Travel to Chigu mountain via bus 99 take around an hour from tainan train station. it just took me less than one hour to visit the entire attraction. I believe it will be more happening on weekend and is suitable for family.
Written January 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xin Ru T
Singapore, Singapore1,317 contributions
Dec 2015 • Solo
Pros:
1. There is a relatively grand structure which is supposedly a salt mountain. I saw some couples having their wedding photoshoots here.
2. There are some salt-related products sold here like salt ice cream (NTD60 for small / NTD80 for big), offering an interesting taste.
Cons:
1. According to our driver, this is an artificial cement structure painted white and coated with a layer of salt. I have reasons to believe the driver because when we walked to the back of the salt mountain, it was grey and dull and looked like cement. I can probably understand why the structure is built this way (to tolerate elements like the weather and weight of people climbing), but it takes away the wow factor of the place. (Refer to the attached photograph.)
2. We paid the admission fee of NTD50 per pax and NTD100 for parking with the understanding that we would be able to climb the salt mountain. However, when we entered the place, we saw a sign indicating that the steps were under repair and that climbing was not permitted in the meantime, defeating the whole purpose of visiting this attraction. (Refer to the attached photograph.) We ended up only being able to walk through the gift shop, making me feel like this place is simply a tourist trap.
Tips:
1. Before paying the admission fee, check with the counter staff about whether the salt mountain is available for climbing.
2. If you have a driver and want to avoid paying the NTD100 parking fee, ask the driver to wait at the free parking area at the nearby salt museum. You can then call the driver to come over to pick you up once you are done visiting the salt mountain attraction.
3. If you are truly interested in looking at the authentic salt processing method of evaporating seawater, visit Jingzaijiao Tile-Paved Salt Field instead. It is less commercialised, offer more beautiful sights, and provides hands-on opportunities for visitors.
1. There is a relatively grand structure which is supposedly a salt mountain. I saw some couples having their wedding photoshoots here.
2. There are some salt-related products sold here like salt ice cream (NTD60 for small / NTD80 for big), offering an interesting taste.
Cons:
1. According to our driver, this is an artificial cement structure painted white and coated with a layer of salt. I have reasons to believe the driver because when we walked to the back of the salt mountain, it was grey and dull and looked like cement. I can probably understand why the structure is built this way (to tolerate elements like the weather and weight of people climbing), but it takes away the wow factor of the place. (Refer to the attached photograph.)
2. We paid the admission fee of NTD50 per pax and NTD100 for parking with the understanding that we would be able to climb the salt mountain. However, when we entered the place, we saw a sign indicating that the steps were under repair and that climbing was not permitted in the meantime, defeating the whole purpose of visiting this attraction. (Refer to the attached photograph.) We ended up only being able to walk through the gift shop, making me feel like this place is simply a tourist trap.
Tips:
1. Before paying the admission fee, check with the counter staff about whether the salt mountain is available for climbing.
2. If you have a driver and want to avoid paying the NTD100 parking fee, ask the driver to wait at the free parking area at the nearby salt museum. You can then call the driver to come over to pick you up once you are done visiting the salt mountain attraction.
3. If you are truly interested in looking at the authentic salt processing method of evaporating seawater, visit Jingzaijiao Tile-Paved Salt Field instead. It is less commercialised, offer more beautiful sights, and provides hands-on opportunities for visitors.
Written December 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace K
Tainan, Taiwan10 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
You need a car or scooter to get there.
I think we paid 200$ NT to get in. There were two of us, and we had a car.
The salt mountain is a hill, around 6 stories I'd say. The best thing about being there is in your photos it will look like a snowy mountain, which if you go in the middle of summer is a kind of fun thing. At the top of the mountain there will be many people pushing in to take pics of the "view" which is basically nothing special. Some roads and little salt ponds.
Around the salt mountain are some activity for kids. They had quads, bumper boats, carousel, and a weird little santa house to take couples pictures in?? Anyway half of the stuff looked not really open. There was a building with some salt sculptures in it nothing too exciting really.
My husband, a local, was really excited to try the special salty ice cream. He got the one with egg? and said it was just ok.
If you live in the area I suppose it worth checking out just to check out. If your visiting Taiwan/Tainan there are much better and more exciting things to do in the area.
I think we paid 200$ NT to get in. There were two of us, and we had a car.
The salt mountain is a hill, around 6 stories I'd say. The best thing about being there is in your photos it will look like a snowy mountain, which if you go in the middle of summer is a kind of fun thing. At the top of the mountain there will be many people pushing in to take pics of the "view" which is basically nothing special. Some roads and little salt ponds.
Around the salt mountain are some activity for kids. They had quads, bumper boats, carousel, and a weird little santa house to take couples pictures in?? Anyway half of the stuff looked not really open. There was a building with some salt sculptures in it nothing too exciting really.
My husband, a local, was really excited to try the special salty ice cream. He got the one with egg? and said it was just ok.
If you live in the area I suppose it worth checking out just to check out. If your visiting Taiwan/Tainan there are much better and more exciting things to do in the area.
Written February 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay T
Perth, Australia314 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
It's more of a very small hill rather than a mountain. It should only take you 3-5 minutes to climb up and down, depending if you take photos of the not-so-awesome scenery.
There are food vendors outside, a shop selling local Taiwanese products, and a small museum and activities area. All in all, it shouldn't take you more than an hour to see everything if you take it slow. We took a slight detour to the Salt Mountain on our drive from Taichung to Tainan, so it wasn't that big a disappointment.
There are food vendors outside, a shop selling local Taiwanese products, and a small museum and activities area. All in all, it shouldn't take you more than an hour to see everything if you take it slow. We took a slight detour to the Salt Mountain on our drive from Taichung to Tainan, so it wasn't that big a disappointment.
Written January 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JerSG
Singapore19 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
I went during the time they had salt sculpture so it was kind of interesting to see the sculptures. However, the Salt Mountain may be a little disappointing as they didn't maintain the white and it was covered with dust and grey now. If you read a little on its history of this industry and its reason of existence, you may find it worth a visit. However, if you only expecting to see "salt mountain", then it is not worth the while as you can't climb it like before now. If you don't mind, you can get great photos on the new white patches formed. It is kind of far from Tainan itself and more suitable for people who are driving. Those who intend to take a bus must be prepared to check the timetable before you roam around. Don't even think that you can flag a taxi there, you may be able to call for one if you are lucky at a very high price. When visit in the hot summer, don't think you would want to walk to the museum that is 10 to 15 minutes walk away. So, plan your trip carefully.
Written August 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JeremySIN
Singapore615 contributions
Oct 2013 • Solo
Nothing much to see. Agree with earlier review, it's just salt piled high up by man that look like mini mountain. Only small patch of area is white other areas are all grey in color. Climb up the stairs and down will only take you a few mins. plus the sculpture museum. All take you 15 minutes and it's done. There more food vendors and kids playing grounds around.
Take bus #99(NT30) from Bus stop outside Tainan railway station. Note only 3 departure daily during the weekday and hourly during Sat/Sun & Public Holiday. Do ask the staff before boarding because not all #99 bus terminate at Cigu Salt Mountain.
Not worth the time spend on the journey(almost 1 hr) just to visit Cigu salt mountain, unless you cover other temple sites like LUERMENMA TEMPLE. Buy weekend bus ticket NT150 you can hop up and down unlimited ride to visit other sights along the way.
Take bus #99(NT30) from Bus stop outside Tainan railway station. Note only 3 departure daily during the weekday and hourly during Sat/Sun & Public Holiday. Do ask the staff before boarding because not all #99 bus terminate at Cigu Salt Mountain.
Not worth the time spend on the journey(almost 1 hr) just to visit Cigu salt mountain, unless you cover other temple sites like LUERMENMA TEMPLE. Buy weekend bus ticket NT150 you can hop up and down unlimited ride to visit other sights along the way.
Written November 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danny U
Tainan64 contributions
Sep 2011 • Family
This place was really disappointing and I have no idea why it is a tourist attraction. It is essentially a small 30 foot hill of salt. It reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer steals all the sugar and has it piled up in his backyard.
Written July 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angelia W
162 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Not really a mountain. More like a hill. The area to walk up the hill was closed when we were there. The salt has turned brownish and the worker were busy pouring new salt over the hill with the machinery and all. Not really worth the trip in my humble opinion.
Written December 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jui C
72 contributions
Sep 2019 • Friends
It was really hot when we came here. There are some snack vendors, sand and salt carving displays. You can buy salt without iodine. You can reach here by bus!
Written September 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cpcog
Sydney, Australia1,365 contributions
Is the fake salt mountain still under maintenance and not climbable?
I would like to go there in August 2016. Any idea that it would be reopened or not at that time?
Thanks!
laiyuchi
Taiwan
The salt mountain is still under maintenance
There will be a path to go to the top
In summer,the open time is from 9:00 to 18:00
It's quite hot in summer in Taiwan
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