海角大神

Wang Tzu-kai isn't worried about the domes of a nuclear plant visible over a tiny ridge from his hometown beach. The plant dumps used cooling water into the strait next to a sandy spot where he was聽lounging on a recent afternoon.

鈥淭he plant has been running for so long, yet no problems,鈥� says Mr. Wang.聽

The anti-nuclear movement in Taiwan, once a fringe movement, is going mainstream. President Ma Ying-jeou's government promised to freeze construction on the island's fourth nuclear power plant this April, after tens of thousands turned out to protest in Taipei. The temporary freeze takes effect this month.聽

Nearly 59 percent of people polled in April by Taiwan's Commonwealth magazine, a politics and economics publication, said they wanted the聽fourth nuclear power plant stopped聽because they fear a disaster akin to Japan's 2011 Fukushima earthquake and reactor meltdown. Like Japan, Taiwan sits in a highly seismic area.聽

Yet 200,000 people per day pack the South Bay beach, on the southern tip of Taiwan and not far from Kaohsiung, its second largest city. Beach goers see no irony in sunbathing next to one plant while opposing the next one.

Some locals make a distinction between Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants 鈥� built in the 1970s and 1980s 鈥� and plans for the fourth one. The plant here, No. 3 and reported no major accidents in its 29 years. The fourth plant, which is going up in聽New Taipei City, a much more populated area,聽was already behind schedule and over budget when the Fukushima earthquake jolted public opinion over the risks of nuclear power. 聽

"The fourth plant has a weak spot. It鈥檚 been stopped, restarted, stopped and restarted again,鈥� says Wang Hsing-fu, a southern Taiwan native who relaxed on the beach in mid-July.

Nuclear supporters hope that, like No. 3, if the fourth nuclear plant is eventually completed, it will be accepted by locals. Over 95 percent of Taiwan's energy is imported and supporters say nuclear power 鈥� which accounts for 19.5 percent of the island鈥檚 total energy generation 鈥� is cleaner and costs less than imported coal and oil.

The three current plants are scheduled to be taken offline by 2025. They would be required to serve longer if the fourth plant is not completed as planned, the economics ministry has said.

Grown attached聽

South Bay鈥檚 popularity persists because Taiwanese grew attached to the beach long before the anti-nuclear movement brought attention to the risk of accidents. Some are now worried about the beach, but can鈥檛 bear to change.

鈥淧eople鈥檚 awareness of nuclear safety is progressing,鈥� says Yang Lian-fu, a publisher of Taiwan history books who writes about political and development issues. 鈥淪till, South Bay is so scenic. You don鈥檛 feel any sense of panic.鈥�

Authorities from the surrounding Kenting National Park say the number of beach visitors has held steady over the years, with no complaints of short-term discomfort or long-term illness. Ocean water tests have turned up no radioactivity.

Government operator Taiwan Power Corp. says the cooling water is clean, though it concedes a role in coral bleaching from the outtake water, which is 88-90 degrees Fahrenheit, 2-4 degrees higher than normal summer temperatures. Bleached coral turns white and is at risk of dying.

In the summer, hundreds wade up to their waists in South Bay鈥檚 blue-green water. Even in winter, the water stays warm enough for swimmers. 聽

Some South Bay fans admit they didn鈥檛 know about the nuclear plant next door or the unfinished one. Some know but don鈥檛 care. 鈥淣uclear power?鈥� asks Yang Chung-ming, a first-year high school student who has visited South Bay 20 times. 鈥淚 think a little bit is OK. I won鈥檛 be afraid.鈥�

Diving guides give tours near the outtake pipe, finding healthy groupers, manta rays, and sea turtles near coral reefs. Anti-nuclear activists view all this with dismay.

鈥淎lthough you can see the domes, a lot of people aren鈥檛 aware it鈥檚 a nuclear plant,鈥� says Wang Shun-wei, coordinator of Taiwan鈥檚 anti-nuclear protest group Green Citizens鈥� Action Alliance. 鈥淭he public hasn鈥檛 received enough awareness of the risk.鈥�