In the 1960s, the Gongliao shoreline on the Pacific became Taiwan’s abalone-farming capital; crystal-clear water and an ideal environment made its abalone famously sweet. A bacterial outbreak in the 1990s nearly wiped out the industry, but the second generation of farmers has returned, using semi-open ponds flushed by natural tides to restore the “abalone kingdom.” At Xianwu Benpu in Meiyan Village, visitors wade into the tide pools to feed the shellfish, then grill them on the spot, turning fresh ocean flavor into the celebrated “New Taipei Gongliao Abalone.”