Dazzled by the Jade Mountain: Profile of the Yushan National Park in Taiwan

Taiwan, China
by Theresa Yiju Lin

Yushan is a subtropical mountainous national park in Taiwan. Except for Yushan, the Park consists of other thirty mountains that are over 3,000 meters, which might be a climbing challenge for some visitors. The ancient forests nurture and conserve a great number of plants and flowers commonly found in subtropical, temperate and frigid weather zones. Almost all the species of birds are native, large mammals and endangered species of Taiwan can be found in the Park, and it is the habitat of more than 200 types ofbutterflies. Taiwan is also known as “the country of butterfly.”

The marvelous Yushan National Park is the heart of Taiwan. Many international scholars recognized it as a naturally made museum because it nurtures the climax communities, which is the reason that the government is dying to conserve it for the future study and research.

The Ridge of the Roof

Taiwanese government announced the establishment of the Yushan National Park on April 10, 1985 for the purposes of recreation, preservation, education and research. Yushan Main Mountain spreads out in four different counties including Nantou, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Hualien. Yushan is known as “the ridge of the roof in Taiwan.” The main peak, the highest mountain in the Northeast Asia, is 3,952 meters above the sea level. Geologists reported that it dropped about 0.5 meters after the 921 earthquake in 1999.

After visiting Yushan, you have seen 30 percent of the mountains in Taiwan, and Yushan is a place that welcomes visitors for all seasons with different aspects of beauty. If you come to visit Taiwan, be sure to visit this incredible site. You will have no regrets!

Winter in Yushan

The pioneer of the land is the Tsou tribe; the Tsous named the mountain Yushan, which means the Jade Mountain, because the summit is covered by the snow. There are only two villages in the aboriginal reservation in the National Park. Topon (Tunpu) in Nantou and Maseru (Meishan) in Kaohsiung. Most of the Tsous moved to Alisan. Currently the majority of both villagers are Bununs, one of the oldest tribes in Taiwan’s history.

The Bununs originated from the west side of the main island and migrated to the Yushan following the food and the seasonal changes. The Bunun tribe has been living in the area since 200 years ago. Being traditional, Bununs are all about songs, music and celebrations. These are the three elements of their daily lives. In the past, almost every month there is a festival of some kind, they set the dates according to the plant growth, changes of weather and environment, as well as the moon.

Bunun has very little dance music, but almost every Bunun has a great talent for singing. The Bununs usually sing in groups. The song, Praying for Abundant Millet Harvest (pasi bu bu), is recognized by the United Nations as a piece of important cultural assets.

A Tribe Lives at the Highest Elevation

The Bunun is a farming tribe that occasionally does hunting and gathering. Although lifestyle has been modified over the time, singing is still an essence of the Bunun’s life. Today, the Bununs are still farming, but they also cultivate tea leaves, corns and plums. Along with the Bunun tribe, there are a few Tsou tribal members also reside in the Park. Visitors are more than welcome to visit the two villages when they come to Yushan.

Yushan National Park is closed during the snow season for safety purposes. Beginning in 2005, the management decided to close the Park to the public from January 9 until February 8 each year because of the bad weather. During this month, Yushan will remain untouched by the human beings. Taiwanese also want to show their respect and appreciation to the mountain spirit by holding the mountain opening and closing ceremonies to represent that they will give the peace back to the Mother Nature.

Scientists also support this decision because they believe that the resting time will help all the protected communities in the Park the chance to rehabilitate and revitalize. The service will be held by the Tsou tribe in the morning in front of the Tataka entrance. The public is invited to attend the holy rituals.

Rain falls and hailstones were caught by the rocks and later formed the ten main streams in the Park; they are the main water suppliers for the Central, East and the South. The waterfalls near the upstream and lakes add personality to the park. Among all of the lakes in the Yushan National Park, Tien-chih, a heart shape lake situated near the peak of Ku-ha-nuo-hsing Mountain Trail, is an extraordinary, must-see spot. It is known as “the lake of the heaven.”

Waiting for Sunrise

In average, it will take two days and one night to reach to the pinnacle. The management developed and completed a plan of accommodation to provide visitors more accommodation and camping options. In addition to the Paiyun village and Paiyun Campground, there are other 27 campgrounds, cottages and dormitories for visitors to stay overnight. Paiyun Village is about 2.4 kilometers away from the west main peak. Many tourists choose to stay overnight at Paiyun before hiking to the peak.

In order to maintain the balance of the nature, the Park is divided into two different areas. One area is for people who would like to have a simple tour at the Park. People who enjoy hiking and camping and have the desire to reach the top are required to obtain entry permits so they have the permission to access to the ecologically protected areas. Many people miss this amazing place in Asia because park entries are necessary. (Read: How to obtain Entry Permits to Yushan National Park)

There are three tourist districts including Tataka in Nantou, Meishan in Kaohsiung and Nanan in Hualien, where visitors can tour without park entry permits, but a mountain entry permit is required. The visitors who prefer short visits can enter the park and have legal access while visiting these areas with a valid mountain entry permit. The information centers at each district provide information about the park, assist in arranging the hiking routes and have tour guides available by reservation.

The Southern Cross-Island Highway

The renowned hiking trails include the Yushan Main Peak, South Section Two System, Ma-pu-la-su East-West System, Japanese Occupation Era Patungkuan Traversing Road System, Southern Cross-Island Highway Three Mountains and Kuanshan System and Hsin-kang Mountain System. Visitors will need mountain and park entry permits to reach the summit.

Yushan’s history began about 1,000 years ago. The living species, plants and flowers in the Yushan National Park are seen as the Taiwan’s treasures, and it is the only home of the highland red-belly swallowtail butterfly. View the photos and video clips about the Yushan National Park, by visiting the official Web site at www.ysnp.gov.tw or visit an alternative Web site at www.taiwaninfo.org.