Baxianshan National Forest Recreation Area Introduction
Baxian Mountain was once one of the three major logging areas in Taiwan. After the bustling logging era, the Baxian Mountain National Forest Recreation Area was established in 1986. Today, the park utilizes its resourceful location to transform the facilities into a vocabulary of historical memory, planning short, light hiking trails with diverse scenery. Visitors can explore the beautiful Shimen Stream, cherry blossom forest, tung tree forest, and bamboo forest, and climb to the summit that is the highest of the Quguan Seven Heroes: Baxian Mountain, with an elevation of 2,366 meters. The name "Baxian Mountain" is derived from a Japanese translation, as it stands at "eight thousand" Japanese shaku high, taking its homophonic name from "Baxian." From 1915 to 1963, Baxian Mountain experienced 48 years of logging, leaving behind uniform plantations, cable car stations, shrines, and remnants of elementary schools that tell the story of the logging industry. The former forest railway was completely dismantled after logging ended, leaving only old photographs in the park for remembrance. In addition to historical sites, the area is rich in bird ecology, with common species such as the azure-backed tit, coal tit, white-eared bulbul, and crest bulbul acting as local stars. In recent years, a record of a hundred-paced snake's nesting in the wild has also been observed. Additionally, at night, one might encounter wildlife such as the Formosan giant flying squirrel, black-faced flying squirrel, weasel-badger, and crab-eating mongoose, while the Formosan macaque is the most frequently seen star during the daytime in the park.
Photo provided | Taichung Branch
Photo provided by Taichung Branch
