Yushan

Yushan National Park in Nantou County is named for Yushan, at 3,952 m the highest peak in Taiwan and East Asia, and covers 103,121 hectares of the Central Mountain Range^[1]. It was established on 10 April 1985 and is run by the Yushan National Park Headquarters under the National Park Service^[1]. More than 30 peaks in the park rise above 3,000 m^[1].

Surveys recorded about 50 mammals, 151 birds, 18 reptiles, 13 amphibians, 12 fish and 780 insects^[1]. Mammals include the Formosan black bear, sambar deer, Taiwan macaque and serow, and the park is an important nesting ground for the Taiwanese population of the mountain hawk-eagle^[1]. Butterfly processions can be seen from March to May^[1].

Vegetation runs from subtropical foothill forest to alpine summits in six altitude zones, from broadleaf forest below 1,800 m to alpine herbaceous plants above 3,800 m^[1]. The park covers about 3% of Taiwan's land but holds about half of the island's native plant species, with 2,522 plant species recorded^[1].

Two-thirds of the park lies above 2,000 m, with an elevation difference of 3,600 m inside its borders^[1]. Faults, joints and folding shape its canyons, cliffs and valleys, and the Great Precipice shows marine fossils in the rock^[1].

Because the park spans 3,600 m of elevation, conditions change from warm subtropical foothills to a cold alpine summit^[1]. Yushan is a major watershed feeding the Zhuoshui, Kaoping and Siouguluan rivers^[1].

Prehistoric stone tools and pottery have been found in the Wangshiang and Dongpu areas^[1]. The Bunun live in Dongpu and Meishan, having moved into the mountains about 300 years ago, while the Tsou in the west have been largely assimilated by the Bunun^[1].

The park was established on 10 April 1985 and is administered by the Yushan National Park Headquarters under the National Park Service, Ministry of the Interior^[1]. It is considered a potential World Heritage Site for its flora and fauna^[1].

The main draw is the Yushan summit trail up the 3,952 m peak. The Batongguan Trail, built in 1875 during the Qing dynasty for defence, still has stone steps, walls and guard posts^[1]. Other sights include Jinmentong Cliffs, Yunlong Waterfall, Yinyu Waterfall and alpine lakes such as Jiaming Lake and Tienchih^[1].

Visitor centers stand at Tataka, Nanan and Meishan, and the park maintains about 39,880 m of foot paths, 17 parking lots and 18 suspension bridges^[1]. Entry control and remoteness keep visitor numbers modest, at about 1.04 million in 2015^[1].

Yushan's value lies in its range of habitats from subtropical forest to alpine grassland, and the park's alpine lakes have fragile ecosystems^[1]. Entry control is used to limit pressure on the high mountain environment^[1].