Da’an Water Cloak Ecological Education Park Introduction
Daan Water Shield is a national treasure level plant that is nearly extinct, with a flowering period from October to February. It is a plant endemic to Taiwan. In 2000, a coastal ecological education park was completed locally, which not only cultivates Daan Water Shield but also hosts dozens of coastal plants such as Bitter Bamboo, Taiwan Sea Grape, Narrow-leaved Water Lily, Water Yellow Skin, Yellow Leaf Banyan, Thousand Layers, Weeping Fig, Yellow Mallow, Jubea Chamaedorea, Forest Bean, Qiongyai Begonia, Mandarin Orange, Three-leaved Ginger, and Taiwan Tallow. The Daan Water Shield Ecological Education Park is located in a pond on the southern bank of the Wangliao River in Daan District, mainly aimed at rehabilitating the endangered Water Shield plant. The Daan Water Shield is a perennial aquatic herb with upright stems shaped like a quadrilateral column, having dense hairs at the nodes, with leaves that are alternate, papery, and lanceolate. It blooms purple flowers in a tubular corolla, and its fruit is oval-cylindrical, making it a rare plant endemic to Taiwan. The "Water Shield" is only distributed in Daan District of Taichung City, as well as the coastal wetlands of Qingshui District and Longjing District. Due to habitat destruction, the population is extremely scarce, thus requiring significant protection and rehabilitation efforts.
