National Parks of Taiwan

Taiwan's three alpine national parks cover more than two-thirds of the island's peaks. The national parks have always worked hard to provide mountaineering services to visitors. This is not just the responsibility and obligation of a national park, but a goal which the park should be constantly striving towards. The Construction and Planning Agency has commissioned the Taiwan Mountain Cultural Society to compile The History of Taiwanese Mountaineering, in order that future generations might realize the beauty of Taiwan's mountains and induce in them a spirit of ecological conservation. We invited every member of Taiwan's mountaineering circle to provide information. Interviews were also conducted to facilitate the consolidation and preservation of these important cultural experiences and assets.

The history of Taiwanese mountaineering is a detailed record of the changing relationship between man and mountain. No matter the purpose of these early adventurers trying to explore an unknown area out of the spirit of adventure, these early mountaineers certainly blazed an arduous path for others to follow. The hand-drawn maps and text records of these early mountaineers provided important information for subsequent climbers. Taiwan's hundred peaks were established in the 1970's, and it sparked a boom for mountaineers to conquer all hundred. Climbing clubs established in universities and in the public made mountain climbing more accessible to all. The social and economic growth further drove international mountaineering exchanges and increased the mountaineering population. Now, climbing has become an ecological experience as well as a physical workout, and the number of climbers in Taiwan has reached one million.

This is a multi-volume book set that covers Taiwan's mountaineering history with general remarks, chronicles, interviews, equipment, and images. The compilation process managed to condense the enormous amount of historical data and research into over a million characters. The process also included carefully chronicling and digitalizing old photographs; compiling the biographies of 9 historical figures and interviewing 28 mountaineering experts; several meetings were held throughout the process for revision and for the exchange of ideas, all to ensure the quality of the finished product. After seventeen long months, the volumes were finally ready for publication. This publication is only the start. We hope that these volumes will help inspire those in other fields to acquire an interest in the mountains and their preservation.

This set will be sold in selected government publication bookstores, Wunan Books, and the Kenting, Yushan, Yangmingshan, Taroko, Shei-Pa, and Kinmen National Park employee co-ops. It is a must have for all mountaineers and mountain lovers.