Laomei Green Reef (老梅綠石槽), as the name suggests, is a large array of stunning green reefs on a beach adjacent to Laomei (老梅), a tranquil fishing village located on Taiwan’s North Coast in New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門區).
Please watch the following video of Laomei Green Reef (老梅綠石槽) in northern Taiwan.
There are hundreds of neat rows of stone troughs in different shapes on the rocky beach stretching about 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) in the middle of Laomei Bay, which is the northernmost bay in Taiwan. With algae flourishing on the reefs’ surface during the winter’s monsoon season, these stone troughs therefore amazingly turn green, as if they were vibrantly painted atop their pristine surface.
Laomei Green Reef was once selected by CNN as one of the most stunning sceneries in Taiwan, and Laomei is the only place in Taiwan that has such a spectacular view. Due to its stunning view, Laomei Green Reef has become one of the most popular check-in spots in northern Taiwan in recent years.
Green reefs the work of Mother Nature
Amazingly aligned in parallel to each other on the golden sand of the beach, these reefs are in fact a great work of Mother Nature. Their origin can be traced back 2.5 million years and 700,000 years ago when a volcano in the Datun Mountain range (大屯火山群) erupted.
After the lava spewed into the ocean at Laomei Bay and hardened on the beach, it has been continually eroded by ocean waves. Gradually, the softer parts of the lava-turned rocks were washed away, while the harder parts remain.
These rocks then transformed into hundreds of neat rows of reefs in between the wave-cut sea grooves on the beach. When they are covered by vibrant green algae in the spring, the awesome view becomes one of Taiwan’s natural wonders.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to visit other famous tourist attractions in the same vicinity, such as Shimen Stone Arch (石門洞), Fugui Cape Lighthouse, Fuji Fishing Harbor (富基魚港), Fugui Cape Park, and Windkanter Area (風稜石區) on the same trip.
After the weather warms, the algae gradually disappear with exposure to the sun. Therefore, the best time to take in this magnificent phenomenon is around April and May each year when the northeast monsoons die down. But it is essential to visit the green reef at the right time when the tide ebbs in the day, so as to fully enjoy this miraculous scenery.
