Sanxiantai

Sanxiantai is a small rocky island a few hundred metres offshore on the Taitung coast, named for three legendary immortals said to have rested there, and joined to the shore by a white pedestrian bridge that rises and falls in eight arches, a shape chosen so that it reads as a dragon from a distance and now the most photographed structure on this coastline. Crossing it takes a few minutes; on the far side a loop trail of coral rock and boardwalk runs around the island past sea-carved formations, a small lighthouse and stands of wind-shaped coastal scrub. Between the island and the shore the reef is exposed at low tide in a set of shallow pools. The coast here faces due east, which makes it a standard sunrise stop. A beach runs some ten kilometres along the shore, and the place appears on a map of 1755 as Sansana; in Amis it is Nuwalian.

What you'll find

• The eight-arch bridge - a white pedestrian bridge rising and falling in eight spans to the island.
• The island loop trail - boardwalk and rock path around the islet past eroded formations.
• The reef pools - shallow pools exposed at low tide between the shore and the island.
• Sunrise over the Pacific - the east-facing coast with the sun coming up behind the bridge.

When to go

October to April is drier and cooler, and the sea is calmest in the early morning. Sunrise is the best time both for light and for the near-empty bridge, since coaches arrive later in the morning. The bridge closes in strong winds and typhoons. Low tide exposes the reef pools and is worth checking against a tide table.

What to expect

The bridge is steep in both directions and there is no shade on it or on the island, so midday in summer is hard work. Coach parties arrive in blocks and the arches fill with people photographing each other. Public transport along this coast is infrequent, and the bridge has been closed for long stretches after typhoon damage, so check before making the drive.

Nearby

Chenggong fishing harbour is south and the Baxiandong sea caves are north along the coast road.

Key facts