Wen Wangchen
If you don't go to Alishan, don't go to Sun Moon Lake, don't go to 101, what else is there to play in Taiwan, China's treasure island? Go to the dense forest, go to the mountains, go to the seashore, see the flowers and trees, birds, animals, insects and fish, and go to see the fantastic scenery constructed by the special geological landform. In the limited area of Taiwan Island, the environment, ecosystems, flora and fauna are very diverse, and a good nature education system, the construction and maintenance of trails, make it easier for us to see those strange creatures and landscapes. Wang Chen, the author of this article, has visited Taiwan 6 times, initially as a "Youth Grand Tour Taiwan Promotion Ambassador" to complete the "Taiwan Wildflower Dating Tour", and later as the creative director of "Museum" magazine, he led the "Taiwan Museum Tour" activity. Let's follow in his footsteps and see how Taiwan plays a very natural.
Tips: Taipei Transit Station is well connected
Taiwan's railway system is very developed, and travel to Taiwan can use Taipei as a transit station.
Taipei Main Station is not only the largest station in Taiwan, but also the premier transportation hub in the Greater Taipei area, with more than 500,000 passengers transferring from the station every day, ranking 25th in the world in terms of passengers. Even if there is no direct train to the place you are going to, it is generally reachable by transfer. For example, to go to the cloud forest in Nantou County, you can take the Taiwan Railway from Taipei to Taichung first, and then take the Nantou Shuili or Checheng from Taichung Railway Station. To Kenting, you can take the high-speed train from Taipei to Kaohsiung, and then transfer to the Kenting Express.
The Forgotten Forest in Lugu Township, Nantou County, is known as Taiwan's forest business card, and the fog is foggy all day long, just like a sleeping wonderland
<h1>【Cloud Forest】Wet wonderland</h1>
People who have never been to the cloud forest can't guess the situation there.
Because of the water vapor channel located in the mountain range in central Taiwan, the cloud forest is mostly a veritable cloud mountain fog cover. There was always rain, there was always fog, annoying humidity, but it also brought a different kind of scenery. When the occasional rain stops and the sunlight shines and the water mist rises, the mountain forest becomes a wonderland like ink painting. If the Alishan area is the most well-known cloud forest, I think that the Xitou Forest Recreation Area and Shanlinxi Park in Nantou County are the ideal cloud forests for finding unique species. Here, we encounter a variety of taiwan-endemic wildflowers, parasitic "little monsters" and decaying "nether flowers", encounter the wonders created by the dammed lake, and also see a variety of wild orchids.
In the spring, the creek head, sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny, when it rains, people feel that mushrooms grow all over the body, and three or two sunny days after a shower of rain, it will be refreshing. My first stop in Taiwan, I chose Xitou, because I had to hurry to visit the parasitic "little monster" and the unique plant "Taiwan slave grass" at the end of the flowering period. It is said to be special because it is a close relative of the world's largest flower, the large flower born in Sabah, Malaysia, and it is mysterious that I only experienced it in the following years.
Pen holder trees in the Xitou Forest Recreation Area (left); Xitou Forest is a great place to explore unique species (right)
Walking on the slippery trails in the mountains after the rain, I kept my head down to search, refusing to let go of the roots of every big tree— this parasitic "little monster", usually parasitic at the roots of oak trees and other shelled trees. However, the trail that had to be walked for two hours, there were too many trees, so I had to slow down and search slowly. Along the way, there are tall Solo trees, which should be the most common pen holder trees in the mountains of central Taiwan, and the supporting canopy is like a broken paper umbrella, and the sunlight sprinkles through the gaps in the branches, making people feel peaceful. I also searched for other wildflowers along the way, and along the way I saw many endemic species in Taiwan: Alishan moon peach, Alishan curly ear, Taiwanese ground vegetable, Taiwanese yellow viola, Xitou begonia... I took pictures of them with my camera, and on the trail, I was occasionally met by one or two people who got up early to work out, and they all said cheerfully, "Early! "I greeted him too.
Seeing that the trail was coming to an end, I began to get anxious. Slippery roads are particularly difficult. Just as I was about to slip and sit in the middle of the road, suddenly a small red "mushroom" appeared at my hand - finally, this is the Taiwan slave grass that I have come to visit across the ocean. Its plant is surrounded by red, because it is parasitic, it does not need chlorophyll for photosynthesis at all, and the small mushroom-like shape is often misunderstood. "Oh, you're shooting mushrooms!" Just as I was taking pictures of it, passers-by suddenly said. I smiled and said, not a mushroom, but a higher plant that will flower and bear fruit.
Taiwan slave grass is red around it, because it is parasitic, it does not need chlorophyll for photosynthesis at all, and it is often mistaken for a mushroom
The distressing thing about Taiwanese slave grass is that it does not grow in the same season and in the same place every year. This spring, after four years, I went to the same place again to look for it, but I missed it. The big tree was still there, and the grass that had been lying down to take pictures was still there, but none of the Taiwan slave grass had been seen. After all, the uncertainty of parasitic plant growth is greater, and the influence of the environment and climate is stronger, although there are regrets, but I am also glad that when I first came to Taiwan, I could see it smoothly.
Shanlin Creek, not far from Xitou, is the best place to enjoy wildflowers in spring, with a Taiwan leaf orchid on the left and an Alishan crystal orchid on the right
Not far from the top of the creek, There are several trails to travel, one of which is the best place to enjoy wildflowers in spring, because there will be many white and transparent plants - Alishan crystal orchid. Although the name is "orchid", the Alishan crystal orchid is not an orchid, but a saprophytic plant that relies on "eating" the nutrients in the dead branches and leaves to survive. Also without the need for chlorophyll, Alishan crystal orchids look more psychic, and it is no wonder that they are jokingly called "nether flowers" by enthusiasts - they seem to be butterflies that suddenly emerge from the dark underground, and have not yet spread their wings and fly.
On the trail to find Alishan crystal orchid, there are also some other taiwan-endemic species: Taiwan viola, Taiwan tiannanxing, Taiwan rock fan, purple flower hyacinth, Hayata's sage... I walked along the trail and saw only one or two Alishan crystal orchids scattered. I was screaming, and an Abel with a broom on the opposite side of the trail saw me hanging up the camera and said to me. I told Arbor, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to tell you Chinese. Abel said again: Do you want to see the Alishan Crystal Orchid? You go forward, turn right when there is a fork in the road, go down the steps, and you can see a big bush! I was amazed that Arbor could see through my mind and at his love of native species. According to Abel's directions, I did encounter a large cluster of Alishan crystal orchids and fulfilled my wish.
Four years later, visiting the Trail of Shanlin Creek again, alishan crystal orchid is still luxuriant, but almost every plant near the roadside, surrounded by small sticks, as if to remind tourists, pay attention to crystal orchids, do not accidentally step on. I think this may be the work of the volunteers, who have to admire the love of the people here for important species.
Between Xitou and Shanlin Creek, there is also a private spot called "Forget Worry Forest". Since the "921 earthquake" in Taiwan, the original forest here has been soaked by a dammed lake, and the roots have been soaked in water for a long time, unable to breathe, so the trees are gradually dying, leaving only dead trees. If the forest is in a sunny day and there is water in the lake, it will make people admire the wonder of the landscape; if it is foggy, the forest will become terrible, and it will be another flavor. On the stone wall before arriving at the Forgotten Forest, I saw the most beautiful wild orchid in the spring, the Taiwan One Leaf Orchid, which is called Taiwan's Garlic Orchid in the mainland, and each purple-red flower bloomed on the stone wall, one after another, beautiful. On the dead wood inside the Forgotten Forest, I found another wild orchid: Ryukyu Dendrobium. This species was originally only recorded as being born in Ryukyu, but in recent years it has been confirmed that it is also distributed in Taiwan.
Kenting is the easiest place in the whole of Taiwan to find "drifting seeds"
<h1>【Kenting】Search for capes of endemic species</h1>
Kenting is a holy place for vacation and water play in the eyes of many people, but in fact, it hides many hidden secrets. Not far from Kenting's landmark building Eluanbi Lighthouse, Longpan Grassland, windblown sand and other places are blown by the sea breeze from the Pacific Ocean all year round, and the winds of five or six levels often make people unstable. However, when the wind is small, there are several kinds of plants that are unique to Taiwan and can only be seen near the nose of Eluan, and they are all named after the nose of the goose- Plant lovers can hardly resist the temptation of these endemic species. The cat nose head that looks far away from the goose luan nose is usually just a look at the scenery. But in fact, there are also endemic plants hidden in the nose of the cat: the cat's nose head wood blue, the goose nose lantern grass.
Kenting is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and each side of the coast has different ocean currents to bring treasures. Looking for "drift seeds" in Kenting is almost the easiest place to reach in the whole of Taiwan. From huge chessboard feet and canes to tiny sea knife beans and lotus leaves, sea drift seeds are often ignored by the academic community, but they are extremely meaningful in ecology. We can not only understand the direction of ocean currents and the dynamics of gene exchange in biological species from the types of seeds, but also can be used to study the growth status of coastal plants. For example, on the Kenting waterfront, there is a guy who looks like a pineapple and grows on a tree, and tourists from the north often think of it as a pineapple, taking a bite and a mouth of fiber. This plant, called "Lintou", is actually a common taxon on the coast of tropical Asia, and its fruit contains woody fibers, which are light and float on the water, spreading through ocean currents.
In addition to the plants, the animals on the beach are also very exciting. On the coral reef coast after low tide, all kinds of sea cucumbers, sea urchins, starfish, fish, shrimp and crabs, and even sea hares, sea flatworms and other creatures can be seen in the intertidal zone. The soft sea cucumber pestle will spew out the internal organs with a pestle, the stupid sea urchin actually contains high poison, and the fat starfish is easy to see at dusk. Oh, and there are sea snake tails with writhing tentacles, and even bricks that grow between coral reefs and only reveal a gap. While people enjoy the leisurely nature of Kenting Beach, these animals are constantly busy trying to survive.
Night Scouting kenting is also an essential project. If you encounter a sunny day, the starry sky of Guanshan or Longpan Grassland is simply breathtakingly beautiful. The chessboard feet that can only be seen in Kenting in China will also bloom huge flowers at night, attracting moths to pollinate. Want to see the chessboard foot flower, needless to say, can only be achieved in Kenting at night.
Several trails in Hehuan Mountain can almost all be driven to the trail crossing, which is not hard to walk, but you can see too many unique wildflowers in the summer
<h1>【Acacia Mountain】In the summer, please come to see the wildflowers</h1>
The highest mountain in Taiwan is Yushan Mountain, but it needs to be climbed on foot, and the highest highway in Taiwan is in Wuling, which belongs to the boundary of the Hehuan Mountains. Several trails in Hehuan Mountain can almost all be driven to the trail crossing, which is not hard to walk, but you can see too many unique wildflowers in the summer - most of them are named after Taiwan so-and-so, Yushan so-and-so or takayama so-and-so.
Taiwan Little Red Gate Orchid (left); Yushan Buddha Beetle Grass (right)
July and August are a good season to see wildflowers in Hehuan Mountain, and in July, you can see more wild orchids, and the landscape in August is more exciting. Just a long list of the names of a large number of unique wildflowers is enough to be fascinating: Yushan Gentian, Black Spot Gentian, Alishan Gentian, Taiwan Lily, Yushan Millet Grass, Taiwan Quinoa, Taiwan Little Red Gate Orchid, Yushan Buddha Beetle Grass, Yushan Double Butterfly, Yushan Tang Pine Grass, Yushan Feipeng, Taiwan Meadowsweet, Alpine White Pearl, Alpine Ai, Alpine Tongue Orchid... Each kind of wildflower is only encountered at high altitudes in Taiwan, which of course makes flower chasers addicted.
Even more wonderful is the similarity between Hehuan Mountain and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. There are many plant groups, at first glance, similar to the species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and there are small differences under close inspection, but they belong to the same group, which can be described as cousins who have been separated for many years in different regions. Although plant species in Taiwan and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have evolved separately, the convergence of taxa provides us with more possibilities for exploring plant evolution.
The Dream Lake in Yangmingshan is home to a large group of inconspicuous endemic species that need to be protected more than giant pandas, and they are Taiwanese leeks
<h1>【Yangmingshan】Taipei Back Garden</h1>
If Hehuan Mountain, Kenting and other places are too far away, then just staying in Taipei for a few days can also take a day to run to YangmingShan. It is called Taipei Back Garden, which is not only a good place for many Taipei people to vacation, but also an ideal place to appreciate the flora and fauna and landforms. Yangmingshan is a volcanic structure, which has created many hot springs in the Beitou area, and the small oil pit is still emitting smoke, which makes people feel the restlessness of Yangmingshan.
Although you can see different species on several trails, the most famous is Dream Lake. Dream Lake is home to a large group of inconspicuous endemic species, not only in YangmingShan, but also in the endangered level of "extremely dangerous", only in terms of rank, more need to be protected than giant pandas. This plant is called "Taiwan leek", the whole plant is just some ugly thin leaves, but the discovery of Taiwan leek can be described as a sensation - leek belongs to ferns, Taiwan's unique leek, for the taiwan region of the original ferns to fill the blank, but also let scientists re-examine the biological evolution of Taiwan. Legend has it that in order to protect taiwan's water leeks, residents in the area of YangmingShan Dream Lake have moved out to make room for water leeks. Nowadays, the viewing platform of Dream Lake can overlook the ethnic groups of Taiwan's water leeks, but it cannot be approached. I once wanted to apply to the lakeside through a teacher at a university in Taiwan, so that I could take pictures of leeks more clearly, but I didn't get permission. "Unless there is a research project, even the president of NTU can't go."
The Taiwanese blue magpie is often caught as an ornamental bird because of its beauty
In the spring, Yangmingshan also has many other endemic plants, such as Taipei viola, Taiwan Baoduo flower, Taiwan flax flower, and The Kunlan tree that can only be seen in Taiwan in China. In addition to visiting plants, I would also like to talk about animals: the most common animals in Taiwan, the Taiwanese blue magpie in the northern and central mountains, the Taiwanese macaque in various mountainous areas, and the Svenhow climbing lizard common in the south. The Taiwanese blue magpie is often caught as an ornamental bird because of its beauty, and the SvenHoe climbing lizard is a reptile found only in Taiwan, but it is very common in the middle and low altitude areas in the south. The most impressive are the Taiwanese macaques, which I have met in several places.
Taiwanese macaques
I once met a Taiwanese macaque in Yangmingshan, but it disappeared in a flash, and I thought it was shy enough. They also encountered them on the road to the Kenting waterfront, and they looked up at the car and went into the grass. Unexpectedly, on an inaccessible trail at the head of the creek, I was yelled at by a Taiwanese macaque — I was across a stream from it, and it sat on a branch, grinning at me and grinning, very unfriendly. The most tragic thing is that in the mountains of Yilan County, at sunset, suddenly on the branches of the tree, a macaque monkey becomes three or five, and the macaques watching from the trees begin to boldly descend to the ground. Unconsciously, we were surrounded by macaques, there were female monkeys, there were small monkeys, and later the monkey king also walked past us in a graceful manner. Because there was no one around, we were really worried, afraid of being attacked by the monkeys, fortunately the sound of motorcycles was heard in the distance, and when the monkeys were distracted, we fled in a hurry.
Therefore, when it comes to taiwan's animals and plants, I think that plants have all kinds of beauty, and animals must be the most indelible impression left by monkeys.