National Parks of Taiwan

To let more visitors enjoy a full experience of the wonders of the national parks of Taiwan, the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior has carried out two projects in recent years: the International Mobile Guide Promotion Plan and National Park Overall Accessible Environment Improvement Plan. The construction of a multi-functional accessible environment is geared towards meeting the needs of international tourists, senior citizens, and people with reduced mobility, to make it easier for them to visit national parks.

The Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior launched 101 mobile commentator guide videos in 2011-2015. The public can access these videos by simply visiting the YouTube channel or downloading the videos to their mobile devices. Without reservations, people had access to first-rate online guides provided by professional tour guides. In 2018, the Construction and Planning Agency launched 18 international mobile guide videos of 2-4-minutes each for foreign tourists. In them, they used lively and vivid camera techniques to film the beautiful scenery of the national parks. The videos come with commentary in English and Japanese, supplemented with subtitles in Mandarin. The videos guide international visitors around the national parks as if they were there in person, showcasing the beauty of Taiwan's national parks to more foreign tourists.

Since 2010, the Construction and Planning Agency has carried out short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans for the National Park Overall Accessible Environment Improvement Plan. The short-term plan began in 2010 to 2012; its purpose was mainly to improve the appearance of the national park buildings and the surrounding environment and facilities. The medium-term plan was mainly carried out in 2013-2015, where the building improvement model was extended to the construction of recreation areas. FRP materials were used to implement a demonstration project at Wangzailiao Barrier Island in Taijiang. The long-term plan was revised in 2016-2019. It is hoped that at least one disabled-accessible trail can be provided each year. Thirteen trails covering a total linear distance of 13.63 kilometers have been planned.

When discussing the difficulties in implementing the project, Chen Qian-long, the division chief of the National Parks Division under the Construction and Planning Agency, said that most of the national parks in Taiwan are located in the mountains or coastal areas, so rugged and uneven terrain is the norm. However, the construction of accessible trails is based on the principle of not destroying the local site, therefore, there are many limitations when it comes to choosing places with a naturally flat terrain under this principle.

Division Chief Chen said that it is necessary to construct accessible trails to make it easier for people to visit national parks. Although most people are able-bodied and can enjoy nature anytime and anywhere, in the future, when they are aged or in times where mobility is limited, these will be facilities that they will be able to use. In 2020, the program will expand from quality improvement to include improving outdoor seating, setting up a comprehensive QR code commentary signpost system, and using ICT technology to provide more diversified services. This will move the plan towards surpassing existing regulations.