National Parks of Taiwan

The National Park Law of Taiwan was promulgated in 1972, and Taiwan’s first national park, Kenting National Park, was established in 1982, with its headquarters established in 1984. The headquarters handle various operations, including guided tours, conservation, research, recreation, construction, and planning. For almost 40 years, a total of nine national parks has since been established, including Kenting, Yushan, Yangmingshan, Taroko, Shei-Pa, Kinmen, Dongsha Atoll, Taijiang, and the South Penghu Marine National Park, as well as the Shoushan National Nature Park, with a cumulative area of 754,754.3 hectares under preservation.

These national parks boast diverse ecological and cultural resources. Taiwan has 268 mountains of above 3,000 meters, for which 157 or 59% are alpine-type national parks, such as Yushan, Taroko, and Shei-Pa. In addition, 76 of the 100 Peaks of Taiwan can also be found here. Furthermore, these alpine-type national parks bear witness to Taiwan’s orogenic history, encompassing an altitude range of 3,600 meters from shoreline to the mountain tops, and representing a microcosm of Taiwan’s forest ecosystem. The isolated mountainous terrains have also preserved flora and fauna from the glacial age, which have evolved into precious Taiwanese endemic species. The coastal area of Kenting National Park protects the coral reef ecosystems and provides a habitat for a variety of fish, shrimp, crabs, and mollusks. Dongsha Atoll National Park is the largest and most comprehensive atoll in the western Pacific Ocean. The waters around the South Penghu Marine National Park represent the convergence zone of Taiwan’s fish species from the north and south. Kinmen is the first national park that focuses on the preservation of cultural resources, while the Taijiang National Park has witnessed the history of immigrants who have cultivated the lagoons and wetlands of the Taijiang Inner Sea over the past 400 years. The Yangmingshan National Park located near the Greater Taipei metropolitan area represents Taiwan’s volcanic terrain, while the Shoushan National Nature Park near downtown Kaohsiung City is a conservation area for foothill ecosystem bordering the metropolitan area. National parks are located in areas with the most natural and unique environmental and ecological features or significant cultural historical sites. Therefore, the operation and management of national parks are critical for conserving Taiwan’s biodiversity and cultural diversity.

After many years of hard work, the National Park Service was officially established on September 20, 2023. With its organizational status upgraded, it will not only oversee national parks and national nature parks, but also the management of major wetlands and coastal areas across Taiwan. This will connect Taiwan’s most precious core resources from high mountains to foothills, wetlands, coasts, and oceans for conservation and promotion purposes. Underpinned by efforts of the past five decades, a solid foundation has been laid for the legal framework, management mechanism, conservation research, ecological projects, interpretation and education, and communication, as well as partnership of national parks. It will be extended to cover the practical management of wetlands and coastal areas. Under the leadership of the National Park Service, we look forward to a new milestone of integrating conservation research, deepening cooperation with local communities, and connecting with international networks to create a national park system that the whole nation can share and be proud of.