Theme trips
- Bird-Watching
- Hot Spring
- Hiking
Overview
Yangmingshan National Park(陽明山國家公園) is located in the north of Beitou, Taiwan. Yangmingshan was called Tsaoshan (Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan, because it was covered with grass and seldom visited. After World War II, the KMT government renamed the mountain Yang Ming Shan and built a park here. Yangmingshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs. Total area of the park is 125 hectares, designed in traditional Chinese style. The natural beauty of the part has won it the reputation as urban forest and the Taipei garden.
Yangmingshan in springtime (春天)
The springtime, which starts in February and March, is the traditional flower season in the park. The Parks and Taipei City Government, in conjunction with the Peitou and Shihlin branches of the Taipei City Police Headquarters, have jointly arranged a number of special activities and transportation programs aimed at visitors. When the resplendent azaleas and cherry blossoms drive away the gloom of winter on Yangmingshan, the whole earth seems to have come alive. (In the picture is Taiwan Cherry 山櫻花, which is native to Taiwan and widely grown as an ornamental tree. It is a symbol of Nago, Okinawa in the Ryukyus.)
A Bird-watching Trip in Yangmingshan National Park (賞鳥)
At first glance, Yangmingshan is no different to other mountains. It is tall and there are forests, boars and monkeys on the mountain. However, you will soon discover that the ecology of Yangmingshan is quite different from that of all other mountains in Taiwan because of its volcanic geology and geographical location. In terms of the major ecosystem, geological conditions decide the plant ecology. Then, the plant diversity and maturity also determine the fauna in the area. It is the same with birds on Yangmingshan. Though the height of Yangmingshan is similar to most low-elevation mountains, the birds we see in the area are quite different because the natural condition of the mountain is different. It is recorded that there are over 150 types of birds found in Yangmingshan National Park. The poverty of bird resources on the Yangmingshan is an act of God. (In the picture is a Brown-headed Thrush 赤腹鶇 standing on a tree!)
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