Basianshan National Forest Recreation Area

Basianshan was once one of Taiwan's three major logging areas. After its bustling era of forestry, the Basianshan National Forest Recreation Area was established in 1986 (the 75th year of the Republic of China). Today, the park leverages its natural resources, transforming its historical logging facilities into a narrative that recreates past memories. It offers diverse scenic, light-travel, short-distance trails. Within the park, visitors can explore the beautiful Shiwen Stream, cherry blossom forests, tung oil tree forests, and bamboo groves. They can also ascend to the summit of Basianshan, the highest of the "Seven Heroes of Guguan," standing at an elevation of 2,366 meters. The name "Basianshan" (八仙山) is a transliteration from Japanese, derived from its original height of "eight thousand" Japanese feet, with "Baxian" (八仙) being a homophone for "eight thousand" (八千). From 1915 to 1963, Basianshan's 48 years of forestry left behind neatly uniform man-made forests, cableway terminals, as well as remnants of shrines and elementary schools, all telling the story of its logging past. The forest railway that once existed was completely dismantled after logging ceased, with only old photographs in the park remaining for people to recall. In addition to exploring historical sites, the park boasts a rich bird ecosystem, with species like the Green-backed Tit, Rufous-backed Sibia, White-eared Sibia, and Taiwan Yuhina being common little stars. In recent years, the first documented record in Taiwan of a hundred-pace pit viper guarding its eggs in the wild was observed here. Furthermore, at night, visitors might spot wild animals such as the Giant Flying Squirrel, White-faced Flying Squirrel, Ferret Badger, and Crab-eating Mongoose. Taiwan Macaques are the most frequently seen large stars roaming the park during the day.