National parks of Taiwan
Taiwan has 9 national parks and 1 national natural park, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior.
National parks of Taiwan are protected spaces for the nature, wildlife, and history under their current jurisdiction. The national parks cover Script error: No such module "convert"..[1] The Script error: No such module "convert". total land area constitutes around 8.6% of the entire land area of the country. After World War II, calls for protecting the natural environment were met with opposition due to the prioritization of economic development.[2] The National Park Law was passed in 1972, and the first national park was established in 1984.[3]
National parks should not be confused with national scenic areas. While the national parks are administered by the National Park Service of the Ministry of the Interior, the national scenic areas are administered by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.[4] There are also different philosophies that govern the development of the two types of areas. For a national park, the emphasis is on the preservation of natural and cultural resources, with development for human utilization being a secondary priority.[4]
List of current national parks
Currently there are nine national parks in Taiwan. There is also one national nature park, which is designed for areas with fewer resources compared to a full national park.
| Name | Chinese | Date established | Area | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenting National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | January 1, 1984 | Script error: No such module "convert"., 180.84 km2 of land, and 152.06 km2 water | Located on the southern tip of Taiwan, it is also the oldest national park on Taiwan (Pingtung County). Kenting is famous for its tropical coral reefs and migratory birds. | File:墾丁獨立礁的海雞冠.jpg |
| Yushan National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | April 6, 1985 | Script error: No such module "convert". | The largest national park in Taiwan, located on the central part of the island. It is named after Mount Jade (Yushan literally means "Jade Mountain") which is the highest peak in East Asia at 3,952 metres. | File:玉山主峰 01.jpg |
| Yangmingshan National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | September 16, 1985 | Script error: No such module "convert". | The northernmost national park on the island of Taiwan; it has a volcanic landform. Yangmingshan is famous for its hotsprings and geothermal phenomenon. Each spring, Yangmingshan also has a dazzling flower season. It is located partially in Taipei City and partially in New Taipei City. | File:XiaoyoukengJamesHuang002.jpg |
| Taroko National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | November 28, 1986 | Script error: No such module "convert". | A magnificent marble gorge cut by Liwu River, creating one of the most astounding landscapes in the world. It is also the home of the indigenous Truku people. Taroko is located in eastern Taiwan. | File:Taiwan 2009 HuaLien Taroko Gorge Narrow Gap and Road PB140025.jpg |
| Shei-Pa National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | July 1, 1992 | Script error: No such module "convert". | Located in the northern central part of Taiwan island, in Hsinchu County and Miaoli County. It encompasses Xueshan (Snow Mountain), the second tallest mountain in Taiwan and East Asia, and Dabajian Mountain. | File:Mt Dabajian-winter view.jpg |
| Kinmen National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | October 18, 1995 | Script error: No such module "convert". | Located on an island just off the coast of Mainland China, it includes famous historical battlefields in Kinmen. It is also known for its wetland ecosystem and traditional Fujian buildings that date back to the Ming Dynasty. | File:Wuwangzaiju.JPG |
| Dongsha Atoll National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | October 4, 2007 | Script error: No such module "convert"., including 1.79 km2 of land | Taiwan's first marine national park. The atoll and the adjacent waters provide for a rich biodiversity of marine life including fish, jellyfish, squid, sicklefin lemon sharks, and rays to sea turtles, Dugongs, and cetaceans (dolphins and whales). Because of a strict protection policy, it is currently not open to public tourism. | File:Pratas Island ISS004-10210.jpg |
| Taijiang National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | December 28, 2009 | Script error: No such module "convert"., 49.05 km2 of land, and 344.05 km2 water | Located in southwest Taiwan on the coast of Tainan City. The park's tidal landscape is one of its most distinctive features. Around 200 years ago, a large part of the park was part of the Taijiang Inland Sea. There is a rich variety of marine life, including 205 species of shellfish, 240 species of fish and 49 crab species that thrive on the marshes of southern Taiwan. | File:位於七股區北堤堤坊的國聖燈塔.jpg |
| South Penghu Marine National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | October 18, 2014 | Script error: No such module "convert"., including 3.70 km2 of land | Located in the south of the Penghu Islands. The seas around the islets feature large clusters of Acropora coral and a diversity of fish and shells living among the reefs. The islets are also known for magnificent basalt terrains and unique low-roofed houses built by early inhabitants with coral stone and basalt.[5] | File:DongJi Island (21359619055).jpg |
.jpg){kind=link}
National Nature Park
| Name | Chinese | Date established | Area | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoushan National Nature Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | December 6, 2011 | Script error: No such module "convert". | File:天雨洞.jpg |
List of proposed national parks
Five other national parks were proposed but the plans of formation were halted due to opposition:
- 馬告檜木國家公園 ("Makauy National Park for Chamaecyparis formosensis", opposed by local indigenous peoples)
- 能丹國家公園("Neng-Dan National Park", opposed by the Bunun people)
- 蘭嶼國家公園 ("Ponso no Tao National Park", opposed by the Tao people)
- 綠島國家公園 ("Green Island National Park", opposed by the inhabitants.)
- 北方三島海洋國家公園 ("Three Northern Islets Marine National Park")
Proposed national nature park
Another national nature park was proposed but the plans of formation were halted due to opposition:
List of 1937 historical parks
The first national parks were designated for establishment in 1937, when Taiwan was under Japanese rule, though never formally managed as such.[6] The first Script error: No such module "Nihongo". in Taiwan were planned on December 27, 1937, by Governor-General Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. This was when Taiwan was under Japanese rule, thus the three national parks were to be national parks of the Empire of Japan.
| Name | Japanese | Taiwanese | Today's equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daiton National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Toā-tūn Kok-li̍p Kong-hn̂g | Yangmingshan National Park |
| Nītaka-Arisan National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Sin-ko A-lí-san Kok-li̍p Kong-hn̂g | Yushan National Park and Alishan National Scenic Area |
| Tsugitaka-Taroko National Park | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Chhù-ko Thài-ló͘-koh Kok-li̍p Kong-hn̂g | Taroko National Park and Shei-Pa National Park |
The legal basis for these national parks was no longer in force when Japan withdrew from Taiwan in 1945 after World War II. However, these planned national parks formed the basis for subsequent national park establishments.[6]
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Reference on Act Title from Kinmen Park website
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
Script error: No such module "Side box".
Template:National parks of Taiwan Template:Country topics
Script error: No such module "Authority control".