(Source: Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters)

The Yangmingshan National Park is delicate and comprehensive national park. It is delicate because it is spatially small, its landscapes are fine, and it is crafty handiwork of God. It is comprehensive because it encompasses conservation, environmental education and information, recreation and other functions. A national park of such kind is not only unique in Taiwan but also rare in the world.

It’s hard to imagine that such a huge park of nature with rich resources is located just 30 minutes’ ride from Taipei downtown! Yangmingshan is the lifeline of Taipei area because it provides the water conservation, flood regulation and debris flow control functions to protect the safety of the life and property of people living downstream. Yangmingshan is also the lung of the greater Taipei area because it supplies fresh air to filter and absorb polluted air, blocks noises, and eliminates noisiness.

Yangmingshan is even the best relaxing place for Taipei citizens. Therefore, visitors visit this park of nature in swarms on holidays to enjoy the wondrous landscapes and rich natural resources. All these are the contributions that Yangmingshan brings to the greater Taipei area and even the entire Taiwan.

It has been 21 years now since the Yangmingshan National Park was established, and it is time for a change and transformation. Its prototype has been shaped by its natural environments and recreational spaces. Yet, how to make new applications of these resources, to depict the future visions of Yangmingshan, and to embellish the national park in order to make it one of the world-class national parks is concerted effort and expectation of colleagues of the Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters.

Environmental characteristics of Caoshan area :

1. Unique volcanic landform (Datun Volcanoes) in Taiwan
2. Adjacent to Taipei downtown (the national park which is the nearest to the urban area in the world)
3. A world of rare plants and diversity (including the Taiwan quillwort, Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl, red-spotted rhododendron etc)
4. Resource vulnerability and damageability (there are about 12 million visitors a year, the pressure is huge. How to maintain a balanced development between recreation and conservation?)
5. Ecological conservation area and sub-area management
6. Menghuan Pond and Taiwan quillwort conservation
7. Maintaining a balance between recreation use for citizens and sustainable development of ecology
8. Different landscapes in different seasons
9. Backyard garden of Taipei? Hiking area? Park of Taipei downtown
10. Recreation quality enhancement and recreation pressure relief

Planning and construction :

1. Point construction, line development, and plane protection.
2. Planning, development, operations and management of the recreation area
3. Reconstruction and maintenance of visitor service facilities of the recreation area
4. Construction of the Beitou Cable Car and improvement of traffic and transportation
5. Overall review of the national park plan
6. Construction belief: build for conservation
7. R&D and enforcement of ecological engineering

White Paper (Book) for National Park Construction :

1. Reinforcing communication with citizens, encouraging citizen participations, and establishing partnership.
2. Establishing long-term environmental monitoring mechanisms to ensure the sustainable development of resources.
3. Guiding local inhabitants and citizens in Yangmingshan National Park to embark on community reformation to pass on the local cultural characteristics.
4. Planning the publicity and environmental education activity “A Date with National Park” and organizing environmental education promotional programs.
5. Organizing volunteer escort recruitment and training programs, on-the-job training programs and promotion.
6. Developing multidimensional and innovative audiovisual multimedia and information publications
7. Reinforcing interactions with schools of various levels and social groups in the near neighborhood of the park and promoting the concept of biodiversity and conservation.
8. Selecting itineraries for ecological trips and introducing ecological trip activities.
9. Showing concern for social weaker (underprivileged) groups and organizing promotional activities for the physically and mentally handicapped.
10. Renewing (updating) information display facilities of the visitor centers and creating high-quality display venues.
11. Defining tourism and recreation development policies and providing experience of ecological trips
12. Combining relevant tourism and recreation resources and information and building district tourism and recreation service networks
13. Implementing wireless broadband networks and the Yangmingshan community website; promoting digitization of publication; integrating e-encyclopedia, GIS and knowledge management systems; establishing the digital Yangmingshan—Virtual Ecology Classroom; and enhancing the efficiency of emergency rescue.
14. Reengineering (renewing) town and country landscapes to shape the beautiful environment of the near neighborhood
15. Reinforcing international exchanges and demonstrations to absorb experience and knowledge.

Create an environment for the harmony and coexistence of humans and nature :

1. Appropriate division of operations and load control
2. Building facilities with ecological engineering methods
3. Enforcing environmental monitoring and assuring environmental quality
4. Establishing platforms for interactive communication and collaborative participation

Create friendly and warm facilities and space :

1. Access-free tourism and recreation environments for all.
2. Delicate facility quality and thoughtful visitor services.
3. All-round and real-time emergency rescue services.

Provide natural materials for all-out education :

1. Deepening studies on biodiversity and establishing resource information platforms.
2. Publicizing environmental education and promoting the concept of nature conservation and environmental protection.
3. Combining schools, communities and social groups for seed empowering.

Connect with the world in the thought of globalization :

1. Using the Internet as the window for promotion and connection.
2. Ensuring the uniqueness of locality and reinforcing characteristic marketing.
3. Participating in international conservation symposia to exchange with the world.