Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area Introduction
Due to the progress of the accommodation and catering service outsourcing in the Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area, a brand new lunch banquet will be offered starting from June 4, and the first 20 log cabins will resume accommodation services from July 21. The remaining accommodation spaces will gradually open from August to October after renovations are completed. For more information, please visit the Forestry and Natural Conservation Administration's "Taiwan Mountain Forest Travel Network" or the Taichung Branch of the Forestry and Natural Conservation Administration website, or contact the Daxueshan Visitor Center at (04) 2587-7901. Taiwan has the largest area of alpine giant forest in the world, and the Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area, located on the southwestern ridge of the Xueshan mountain range, contains the most complete alpine giant tree ecosystem, including fir forests, cypress forests, and warm temperate broadleaf forests primarily composed of Fagaceae. Each ecological zone has representative giant trees, making it the recreation area with the most delicate forest composition under the administration of the Forestry Bureau. The terrain varies greatly, with altitudes ranging from the highest Xiaoxue Mountain (2997 meters) to the southwest towards Anma Mountain, Shiping Mountain, and Shaolai Mountain, extending down to approximately 1,000 meters in the Shaolai Stream valley. The Xiaoxue section of the trail, at an elevation of about 2,200 to 2,600 meters, features both fir forests and warm temperate broadleaf forests. The upper section of the trail consists of fir forests, where the understory is dominated by the developed underground rhizomes of Yushan arrow bamboo, growing in patches that resemble a grassland at first glance. Occasionally, a few Taiwan cypress and dead wood are interspersed, hinting at past forest fires in this area. Amid the mist, the towering fir giants create a stunning ink painting landscape! The lower section of the trail, near the boundary with the Shiping Mountain work station, is mainly composed of Quercus moracea and other Fagaceae. The distribution of Fagaceae plants here is at higher elevations, located within the range of 1,800 to 2,500 meters in warm temperate broadleaf forests. The magnificent broadleaf forest of the past can still be imagined from the giant Quercus moracea and the Quercus variabilis in front of the Daxueshan Lodge. These Fagaceae plants provide a primary food source for many wildlife species such as squirrels and white-faced flying squirrels, and serve as habitats for numerous wild birds. The area around the Anma Mountain work station to the nursery is the best place to admire the sunset over Daxueshan. The splendid and brilliant sunset accompanied by mountain fog creates a poetic scenery that brings great joy. Walking into the forest bath trail around the work station, the Taiwan cypress and scattered red cypress remain the most eye-catching features of this cypress forest. In addition, trees such as Taiwan sweet gum, Machilus thunbergii, high mountain ginger, Wushe ginger, Quercus moracea, and the tree-type rhododendron, which is only found in eastern Himalayas and Taiwan, grow densely, occupying the second layer of the cypress forest and combining with the cypress to create a mixed coniferous and broadleaf forest. After October, the small membrane fern on the cypress changes into its autumn colors, greeting the season of "autumn's arrival in the heart" with shades of red and yellow, showcasing the misty forest scenery. Ferns in the understory not only dominate in quantity, but upon careful examination, several species of ferns thrive in their preferred moist environment. While heading to the observation deck, looking towards the Anma Mountain ridge on the other side of the Daxueshan woodland trail, the straight and gray-white firs stand proudly at a high altitude on the mountainside, blending with lush green firs among them. The slopes are adorned with cypress, two-leaf pines, and Huashan pines, alongside the bamboo grass slope in the understory, adding a vivid contrast of colors to the mountain scenery that is truly captivating! Upon arrival at the observation deck, the 360-degree view serves as the best spot to observe the western ridge of the Central Snow Mountain Range, where you can see Xiaoxue Mountain to the north, Jiayang Mountain and Jianshan to the east, the Hehuan Mountain ridge behind, and White Dog Mountain and Baxian Mountain to the south. Below is the Dajia River and the twisted Central Cross-Island Highway. When visibility is high to the southwest, you can clearly see Yushan, and further northwest, Shaolai Mountain, Yuanzui Mountain, and Shiping Mountain can be spotted. While gazing at the distant mountains, don’t forget to pay attention to the golden-winged white-browed birds hopping around your feet, experiencing these lovely creatures up close will surely leave you with lasting memories! Additionally, it is recommended to visit the observation deck in the morning, as this area becomes enveloped in clouds and mist in the afternoon. During this time, if you stroll along the Daxueshan woodland trail, "be careful; the Taiwan pheasant may be right by your side!" Beautiful encounters in the forest often appear unexpectedly, and by observing closely, nature's bounty can be found everywhere! Continuing from the Xiaoxue Mountain lodge towards Tianchi, the Taiwan Huashan pine forests lining both sides of the trail allow for a leisurely walk while enjoying the view. Generally, pine tree seeds have a pair of wing-like structures, allowing them to be dispersed by the wind. However, the seeds of Taiwan Huashan pine, referred to as "Taiwan nut pine," lack these wings and attract animals like crows and Formosan macaques to feed on them, thus dispersing the seeds through their movement and droppings. While this method sacrifices many seeds digested by animals, the mobility of these creatures often allows for seeds to be planted far and wide! Arriving at the Ruixue Pavilion at Tianchi to take a rest, this pavilion was completed in December of the 56th year of the Republic of China, with couplets inscribed by the first director of the Forest Research Institute, Mr. Lin Wei-fang: "Auspicious colors rise from the green hills, the sky is clear and emotional appreciation on all sides; Snow mountain has jade trees and fragrant flowers, the sounds of birds fill the air in times of adversity." These words capture the scenery and beauty of looking at Xiaoxue Mountain from Tianchi, adding depth and history to this forest. A thousand-year-old sacred tree stands here, marking the coordinates of the environment. Data shows that this red cypress has an age of about 1,400 years, a height of about 50 meters, a diameter of 4 meters, and a circumference of 13 meters, ranking as the 11th largest giant tree in Taiwan. A passage from "Zhuangzi: Free and Easy Wandering" comes to mind: “Now you have a great tree, worrying that it is useless; why not plant it in the land of the ungrounded, in the vast wild, idle beside it, wandering freely under it, uncut by axes, as it is of no harm, where is the worry?” The reason this sacred tree has survived to this day can be inferred from its appearance, possibly due to its branching stem, which gave it poor form and thus spared it from being cut down.
