National Parks of Taiwan

When mentioning national parks with battlefield scenery, quite a few people will think of “Kinmen National Park,” which is the first national park in Taiwan that preserves battle remains, cultural heritage, and natural resources. Many idle areas in the park were reformed and given a new mission to recall the Battle of Guningtou, 93 Artillery War, and 823 Artillery Way, linking together the public and local history, while passing down battlefield spirit and culture. Many areas in Kinmen National Park were used for military development in the past. Due to the battlefield administration that was implemented in Kinmen at the time, many spaces were preserved but remained idle. At present, a number of military areas have been renovated and are now open to the public. We interviewed the planner of “Huxiayi Military Base” – Mr. Ho Chiao-Chu, who once served military service in Kinmen. He incidentally gained the opportunity to plan Huxiayi Military Base on a visit to Kinmen a decade later. Even though Mr. Ho was not stationed in the base, it reminded him of his days in Kinmen, and he hopes to use his expertise in landscape design to create a different memory and affection for Huxiayi Military Base. Huxiayi Military Base is located at the northwest corner of Kinmen close to Guningtou. It is a bit off the main route of tourist attractions, so it doesn’t have many visitors. Mr. Ho hopes to link the military base to related scenic spots nearby and create an in-depth cultural tour that may serve as an additional option for the public. Huxiayi Military Base not only expresses military life, but also allows visitors to observe cormorants in their natural habitat during the winter, so it is often visited by many bird watchers! Mr. Ho indicated that not everyone experienced life in the military, so he placed an essay book in the military base containing memories of the military, and also invited visitors to write in the essay book and pass down memories of military life. These memories will serve as future nourishment for Huxiayi Military Base, and allow anyone who served in the military in Kinmen or visitors to experience and relive the past. Mr. Ho indicated that planning Huxiayi Military Base is just the beginning, and that he is currently planning another military base, which will be presented using different elements – the view of a veteran on military life that people can sympathize with. The military base will be completed at the end of this year (2015), and he hopes to unveil a different side of the base, giving visitors insight into the mysterious military life.