Formerly Known as “Niumatou”
Gaomei, located in the western part of Taichung City within the Qingshui District (previously known as Qingshui Township before the merger of Taichung County and City, and historically referred to as “Niumatou”), lies on the coastal plain at the northwestern tableland of the Dadu Plateau and along the southern bank of the lower Dajia River. This area, known as “Gaomei,” bears a name as beautiful as it implies. Geographically, the Gaomei area stretches from the Gaomei Wetlands in the west, following Gaomei Road eastward, passing through Provincial Highway 61 and Hu’an Road, and extending to Xitou Road in the Jianan area. It is bounded to the north by Gaomei Elementary School on Hu’an Road, and to the south by Linhai Road along Provincial Highway 17. This entire region is collectively referred to as the Gaomei area. Historically, early settlers cultivated rice on the riverbed lands of Dajia River. Therefore, digging just beneath the surface of these rice fields reveals cobblestones—clear evidence of the area's fluvial past. Additionally, local rice paddies still feature embankments constructed with cobblestones, further indicating that the present-day villages of Gaomei, Gaodong, Gaoxi, Gaonan, and Gaobei were once part of the riverbed of Dajia River. Gaomei is home to many notable landmarks, the most striking of which is the Gaomei Lighthouse—Taiwan’s only lighthouse painted in alternating red and white stripes. In earlier times, this lighthouse served as a prominent coastal landmark for four key townships situated along the foothills of the Dadu Plateau: Dajia, Wuqi, Shalu, and Qingshui. Today, the distinctive red-and-white lighthouse, alongside the nearby Gaoxi Model Nursery—a Western-style castle-like building—serves as a prominent symbol of the Gaomei Wetlands. Constructed in 1967, the Gaomei Lighthouse stands 34.4 meters tall, or 38.7 meters including its pedestal.

In earlier years, Taiwan’s Customs authorities constructed a lighthouse along the central stretch between the Baishajia Lighthouse in Taoyuan and the Mudouyu Lighthouse in Penghu to monitor maritime activity along the western coastline and ensure the safe passage of vessels entering and leaving Wuqi Port. This lighthouse served to address the insufficient lighting between the two existing beacons. The Gaomei Lighthouse commenced operations in 1967. However, following the completion of the Taichung Port Lighthouse in 1982, the Gaomei Lighthouse was decommissioned due to its close proximity to both the Fangyuan Lighthouse in Changhua County and the newly built Taichung Port Lighthouse. As a result, its lighting apparatus was removed and relocated to the Taichung Port Lighthouse. Officially retired in 1982, the Gaomei Lighthouse had served for a total of fifteen years. Notably, because only the lighting equipment was dismantled—leaving the tower structure itself intact—the Gaomei Lighthouse is colloquially known as Taiwan’s only “headless lighthouse.” Gaomei is located in the Qingshui District of western Taichung City. In recent years, one of the most striking features of the Gaomei Wetlands has been the row of eighteen wind turbines standing along Huangang North Road. These turbines were installed by the Taiwan Power Company in 2003. Originally constructed by a Dutch firm, the project was later transferred to a Japanese company in 2005 due to the former's financial difficulties. However, the development of the wind turbines at the Gaomei Wetlands was fraught with challenges. The Japanese company also proved unable to sustain operations, leading to yet another transfer of responsibility. Due to the complexity of operation, persistent issues such as shortages of parts and materials, as well as frequent maintenance problems, have arisen. Additionally, the wind turbines are located in a coastal area and are frequently damaged during typhoon seasons. Records show that one turbine even collapsed during a typhoon in 2008. As the wind turbines at the Gaomei Wetlands were part of Taiwan’s first phase of wind turbine installations, the equipment is now outdated and prone to malfunction. Frequent changes in contractors have further complicated maintenance efforts, resulting in turbines with stationary blades often seen in the wind-swept landscape of the Gaomei Wetlands.

※ Information sourced from reports by the Liberty Times dated October 14, 2009, and TVBS and FTV News dated July 22, 2011.