Yushan National Park (Chinese: 玉山國家公園; pinyin: Yù Shān Gúojiā Gōngyuán) is one of nine national parks in Taiwan. It is named after Yushan, the highest mountain peak in the park. The park covers an area of 103,121 hectares, which includes large parts of the Central Mountain Range. Within the park, there are more than thirty mountains taller than 3,000 meters (9,843 feet), and two-thirds of the park’s area is above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet). The difference in height across the park is 3,600 meters (11,811 feet), and the area includes many canyons, cliffs, and valleys.
Because it is located far from cities and has limited access, Yushan National Park is not one of the most visited parks in Taiwan. However, it had 1,044,994 visitors in 2015. The park is home to many types of plants and animals, and it is considered a possible candidate for World Heritage Site status.
Geology
Taiwan was formed by the movement of Earth's plates and experiences frequent earthquakes. Yushan National Park shows many geological features, such as fault lines, joints, and folded rock layers. Examples include:
- Great Precipice (大峭壁) — Located 1.2 km before Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊) on the Yushan Trail, this steep cliff has fossils from ancient ocean life and wavy patterns in the rock that hint at its past as part of the ocean.
- A scree slope at the base of Main Peak.
- A fault scarp in Laonong (荖濃) between Main Peak and Batongguan (八通關).
- Fuzi Cliff (父子斷崖) and Guanshan Cliff (關山斷崖).
The Southern Cross-Island Highway and the Yushan Scenic Highway provide many chances to see these unique geological features.
Hydrology
Yushan is a key area where water flows into major river systems in central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. It is the source of water for the Zhuoshui River (濁水溪), Kaoping River (高屏溪), and Siouguluan River (秀姑巒溪). The Chenyoulan (陳有蘭溪), Jyunda (郡大溪), Nanzaisian (楠梓仙溪), Laonong (荖濃溪), and Lekuleku (拉庫拉庫溪) rivers are young rivers that begin at Yushan and have V-shaped river beds. Jinmentong cliffs (金門峒斷崖) is a special feature along the Chenyoulan River (陳有蘭溪). These cliffs were created when the Chenyoulan River cut through land that crosses a fault line, showing an example of erosion caused by the river cutting through rock. Jinmentong cliffs (金門峒斷崖), Yunlong Waterfall (雲龍瀑布), and Yinyu Waterfall (乙女瀑布; also called 七絲瀑布) are popular sights in the area.
Alpine lakes such as Dashueiku (大水窟), Tafen Pond (塔芬池), Jiaming Lake (嘉明湖), and Tienchih (天池) form from rain and melting snow near mountain peaks. These lakes supply water to visitors and animals in the region. However, the ecosystems around these lakes are delicate and require more protection.
Flora
Yushan National Park is famous for having many different types of climates and a wide variety of plants and animals. The plants in the park range from warm, low areas near the bottom to cold, high areas at the top.
Changes in height, steep cliffs, and deep valleys in the park cause weather that changes quickly and unpredictably. Areas close to each other can have very different temperatures at the same time. Even though the park covers only 3% of Taiwan's land, it is home to half of all the plant species found naturally in Taiwan. Studies show there are 2,522 different types of plants in the park.
As the height increases, the park has six different plant zones.
Fauna
The park has many different types of animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. From March to May, visitors may see groups of butterflies flying through mountain valleys. The table below lists the total number of different animal species found in the park:
In the past, many of these species were in danger of becoming extinct because of too much hunting. However, after the creation of Yushan National Park, these animals are starting to recover. Larger mammals such as black bears, sambar deer, Taiwan macaques, and serows can sometimes be seen in the park, and their sounds are often heard.
Yushan National Park is an important place where Mountain hawk-eagles build their nests.
Cultural heritage
Ancient objects, such as stone tools and pottery, discovered in the Wangshiang (望鄉) and Dongpu (Tungpu;東埔) areas, show that people lived there long ago. The Bunun (布農), an indigenous group, now live in the villages of Dongpu (Tungpu;東埔) and Meishan (梅山). They moved from the coastal plains to the mountains about 300 years ago. Another group, the Tsou, who live in the western part of the park, have mostly been absorbed into the Bunun culture. During the Qing dynasty, settlers displaced indigenous people when the Batongguan Trail was built in 1875 for defense. Remains from that time include stone steps, walls, and guard-posts.
Eco-tourism
To help protect the environment and encourage eco-tourism, the park has created rules to keep nature safe and taught people about the importance of conservation. It also built public areas to make it easier for visitors to explore. These public areas include:
For safety, many bridges and wooden paths have been added to help people walk across rough areas.
The park has three visitor centers:
- Tataka Visitor Center
- Nanan Visitor Center
- Meishan Visitor Center
Pictures
- Laonung River located on the northeast side of Yushan
- Sea of clouds located near Yushan
- Sea of clouds located on Yushan Trail
- Sea of clouds located near Tatajia Anbu on Yushan Trail
- Sunrise at Yushan
- On top of the world
- Yushan Range, view of the eastern side