National scenic areas bolster Taiwan’s aquatic beauty

2021/02/19

Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area, encompassing more than 100 kilometers of coastline fringing the Pacific Ocean, was established in 1984 as the first such wilderness reserve of its kind in Taiwan.

 Headquartered in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District near the popular summer resort of Fulong Beach, NYCNSA is among 13 situated around Taiwan and overseen by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

 In October last year, NYCNSA entered the Sustainable Top 100 list announced by Netherlands-based Green Destinations Foundation in keeping with U.N. Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria.

Together with the 10 national parks and 18 national forest recreation areas, national scenic areas are key to protecting Taiwan’s natural beauty. NYCNSA Director Chen Mei-hsiu said despite different guiding principles, these systems are all about public outreach and environmental conservation.

 With tourism and related business development high on the list of organizational objectives, national scenic areas cooperate alongside local governments to ensure long-term viability. This spirit of collaboration extends to working relationships with the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau, which oversees geological preservation in such places as Northern Coast Bitou-Longdong Geopark within NYCNSA.

 The priority is to strike a balance between regulation and development. A model example is Turtle Island, a former military base now open to the public. Chen said aside from the area’s natural beauty, disused armed forces facilities are a standout attraction for visitors, including an abandoned 800-meter tunnel carved into a rock cliff.

 Also known for its military past, a popular location on Bitou Cape Trail is a former sentry post doing a roaring trade as a cafe. It is celebrated by social media users as a check-in and photo hotspot due to its mountainous location and ocean scenery.

 Whether it is an old army building or a civilian structure, the guiding principle is the same—reuse and adapt rather than build, Chen said. In this and other national scenic areas of Taiwan, smart management ensures the country’s aquatic beauty spots are developmentally and ecologically protected.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)