“The Guanshan Scenic Area in Kenting National Park, rated by CNN as one of the ‘Top 12 Stunning Sunsets in the World’, used to be a free attraction. Hengchun Township Office took it over and began charging admission fees over six years ago, once generating nearly ten million NT dollars in revenue for the town treasury.
CNN, in their article called ‘Manhattanhenge’ fail? 12 other superb sunset spots around the world’, said about Guanshan:
A Guanshan sunset is one of the great attractions of southern Taiwan.Guanshan is a 152-meter-high mountain inside Kenting National Park – it offers the best viewpoint from which to see the Hengchun Peninsula, a popular tourist spot in the south of the island.The peninsula has no train or highway, making it a natural paradise. What it has is beautiful hot springs and forests.The pavilion adjacent to Fude Temple (Gaoshanyen) on Guanshan Trail offers the best viewing point for sunsets.
However, after the ban on mainland Chinese tourists, the area began to run at a loss, and this loss continued with the pandemic over the past three years. The situation hasn’t improved post-pandemic.
The town mayor, You Shi-Jing 尤史經, mentioned that in order to reduce expenses, the number of contract staff has been cut by half to six, and next year the operation will be outsourced. They hope that with the private sector’s management approach, the scenic area can be revitalized and return to its former glory.
The Guanshan Scenic Area, at an altitude of 152 meters and located on the southwest side of the Hengchun Peninsula, is a popular spot for viewing the sunset and dusk on the west coast of Kenting National Park. During the Japanese colonial era, it was voted one of the ‘Eight Scenic Views of Hengchun.’
Its popularity remained undiminished after CNN rated it as one of the ‘Top 12 Sunset Viewing Points in the World.’ During the period when mainland Chinese tour groups and individual tourists were allowed to visit Taiwan, it was a must-visit destination, with an annual visitor count reaching nearly 120,000.
Previously, the Guanshan Scenic Area was a free attraction managed by the Kenting Management Office. The former mayor of Hengchun, Lu Yu-Dong, took it over and began charging an ‘environmental cleaning fee’ at the entrances from February 2016. The full ticket price was 60 NT dollars, but locals entered for free.
However, the attraction started running at a loss after a ban on mainland Chinese tourists. During the recent three years of the pandemic, the visitor count has consistently been below 60,000 annually. Even after the pandemic restrictions were relaxed this year, the situation hasn’t improved. Contract staff was reduced by half to six, barely breaking even or operating at a slight loss.
Hengchun town representative Chen Jin-Zhong, pointed out that while the sunset views at Guanshan are renowned, one can enjoy the sunset not only at Guanshan but also at other elevated open spaces nearby. Local businesses even offer tables, chairs, and catering services, i.e in my opinion you can enjoy the same stunning sunset it nearby Kenting Ocean Paradise resort, right from your balcony, or rooftop lounge.
After the introduction of the admission fee, due to minimal services within the scenic area, many visitors choose to enjoy the view for free at nearby businesses or elevated roadside areas. He suggests that if a 60 NT dollar fee isn’t profitable and even leads to losses, it might be better to boost the overall tourism of the west coast by offering free access, benefiting the local economy.
Sunset view comes at a price tag of NTD60 to be paid in this booth (I approve of the presence of “his excellence The Cat, though).
Managing a scenic spot that only sees visitors in the evening is quite challenging!’ Mayor You Shi-Jing stated. Besides cutting personnel expenses, the town hall has incorporated local cultural elements by introducing an art installation depicting the silhouette of a lucky sea turtle:
This provides tourists with a unique photo opportunity and an additional attraction. Next year, the management will be outsourced. Plans include developing surrounding trails, offering beverages and light snacks, and hopefully, with the innovative ideas brought in by private enterprises, extending the duration of visitors’ stays.”