Behind the Shanshui Beach dike is one Penghu’s ecological treasures, Shanshui Wetland Park, covering an area of roughly 1.7 hectares. In 2012, an environmental improvement project lowered the seawall, connecting the inner and outer wetlands, creating an ecosystem integrating aquatic, hygrophyte, and xerophyte plant life. The park is home to many sand-binding plants such as spinifex (Spinifex littoreus), which resemble sea urchins. The improvement project proved a success, winning the 2012 FIABCI Real Estate Excellence Award in the Environmental (Rehabilitation/Conservation) Category as an educational park.
Today, this environmentally sound ecosystem teems with life. In addition to various plants, Shanshui Wetlands are habitats for many bird species, most commonly little egrets, grey herons, and migratory birds of the sandpiper family. The park also features walking paths, viewing platforms and other facilities. A quiet, relaxing stroll along the trails, admiring the birds, the sea, and the sunset, is a wonderful way to spend an evening after a day at the beach.