Dongtaizigong Salt Transfer Station (東太子宮鹽運聯合轉運臺)

Located on the southwestern outskirts of Xinying, Tainan, this was a former transshipment station for salt produced at the solar evaporation ponds of the Qigu Saltworks (七股鹽場) and Budai Saltworks (布袋鹽場). In the mid-1950s salt production outpaced domestic consumption, prompting the state to invest in infrastructure to trade salt on the international market. Construction of this particular facility was overseen by the nearby Xinying Sugar Factory (新營糖廠) with labor provided by the Veterans Affairs Department. The transfer station was completed in 1955 and vast quantities of salt soon arrived by narrow gauge railway, to be transferred by regular rail to the Port of Kaohsiung for export. A comparison with archival photographs indicate the reinforced-concrete awning was not an original feature, but a later addition. The ramp leading up to the platform is plainly visible from the path. Mind the gap should you choose to ascend.This section of the platform is adorned with saltworks-themed…