National Parks

30-Second Overview: Taiwan has only 36,197 square kilometers but hosts nine national parks, a density that ranks among the highest globally.
In this most compact conservation system, the Taiwanese black bear population doubled within 20 years, the global population of the Black-faced Spoonbill increased from 288 to 7,746 (six tenths overwinter in Taiwan), and the Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon surged from a critically endangered 200 individuals to 16,020. A small island, great conservation.

How can nine national parks fit onto an island smaller than Switzerland? In 1984, when Kenting National Park became Taiwan's first officially established national park (with planning announcements beginning in 1982), no one imagined this would be the start of a density experiment. After 42 years, Taiwan possesses nine national parks and one national nature park across 36,197 square kilometers, covering an area of 750,000 hectares—a high density that ranks among the top in global national park systems.

In Taiwan, with a population density of 640 people per square kilometer, large wild animals and rare fish have managed to survive and even recover within such limited space. This most compact conservation system has delivered a surprisingly good report card to the global conservation community.

The Density Experiment: How Taiwan Became an Island of National Parks

The History of National Park Expansion Over 42 Years:

1. 1984-1986 — The First Trio: Kenting, Yushan, Yangmingshan
2. 1986-1992 — Filling Mountains and Seas: Taroko, Xueba
3. 1995-2014 — Diversification: Kinmen (War Site), Dongsha (Pure Marine), Taijiang (Wetland), Penghu Islands (Basalt)
4. 2011 — Urban Oasis: Shoushan National Nature Park (within Kaohsiung City)

On September 20, 2023, the National Parks Administration under the Ministry of the Interior was officially established and upgraded to an independent agency, consolidating the management of all national parks in Taiwan, replacing the previous decentralized structure.¹

Each step challenged traditional definitions of a national park. Kinmen is primarily a war site; Dongsha is 99.9% marine area; Taijiang integrates culture and wetlands; and the Penghu Islands are uninhabited marine havens.

📝 Curator's Note
The evolution path of Taiwan's national parks is unique: moving from "Wilderness Protection" (American National Park concept) to "Humanities and Nature Coexistence" (European Protected Area concept), finally developing a distinctive "Three-Dimensional Marine, Land, Air Protective Network."

This level of density is almost unprecedented internationally. For comparison: Yellowstone National Park in the United States alone covers 8,991 square kilometers, yet Taiwan's entire territory is four times larger and still managed to fit nine national parks.

The Taiwanese Miracle of Species Restoration

Black-faced Spoonbill: From Endangered to Six Tenths Globally in Taiwan

In 1989, the Hong Kong Bird Club first surveyed the global population of the Black-faced Spoonbill: 288 individuals. This figure shocked the global conservation community, as the species was so close to extinction.

A global synchronized survey in January 2026 found the total number of Black-faced Spoonbills reached 7,746, with Taiwan recording 4,719 individuals, accounting for approximately 61%; the Taijiang area alone has 2,034 individuals, making it one of the world's most important overwintering sites.²³

Within the nearly 40,000-hectare range of Taijiang National Park (approximately 4,900 hectares of land), not only have wetlands been protected, but traditional industries—in cooperation with fishermen and salt workers—have coexisted with ecological protection. This restoration relies on precise engineering: habitat zoning, fishing regulations, and the cooperation of local communities are all indispensable. Every autumn and winter, when the first batch of Black-faced Spoonbills lands in Sicao Wetlands, the people of Tainan know that the sign of an international wetland is still lit.

Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon: The Legend of Revival from 200 to 16,020

In the 1990s, the population of the Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon plummeted, with only about 200 individuals remaining in the wild and facing extinction. This "national treasure fish," a relict species from the Ice Age, can only survive in streams above 1,500 meters in altitude with water temperatures below 17°C; climate change and habitat destruction left them nowhere to escape.

Xueba National Park took 30 years to increase this number to 16,020.⁴

💡 Did You Know
On September 4, 2025, the Xueba Management Office first collaborated with Jinjie Airlines to airlift 240 Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon, about 16 cm in length, to upstream areas of Sijielan Stream for stocking. Previously, this journey required a six-hour trek on foot; now, it takes just over ten minutes by helicopter.⁴

The success of the restoration lies in patience, not technology. The reforestation plans spanning two decades at Wuling Farm, and the cross-watershed stocking strategies, each took years of planning. Today, Sijielan Stream, Qixiawan Stream, and Hehuan Stream all have stable populations, and the Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon is no longer a frequent guest on the endangered species list.

Taiwanese Black Bear: From Endangered to "No Longer Endangered"

In April 2025, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency publicly stated that the "population status of the Taiwanese black bear is no longer endangered," with the population increasing by "more than double" in 20 years.⁵

Behind this statement lies 40 years of conservation accumulation. High-altitude national parks such as Yushan, Taroko, and Xueba provide core habitats for the Taiwanese black bear, and the recent expansion of their range to lower mountain slopes below 1,200 meters indicates that the population has stabilized enough to begin natural expansion.

⚠️ The Cost of Success
The successful restoration of the Taiwanese black bear also brought new challenges. On April 21, 2025, a male bear weighing over 100 kilograms in Zhongzheng Village, Zhuoxi Township, Hualien, was shot by patrol personnel after killing four dogs within two weeks and repeatedly breaking into chicken coops; the injured bear required humane treatment.⁶ Human-bear conflict will be a focus of future conservation efforts.

A World-Class High-Density Conservation Model

The success of Taiwan's national park system is not measured by its size, but by its diversity of types and precision of management.

From the summit of Yushan at 3,952 meters to the Dongsha Atoll below sea level; from the volcanic landscape of Yangmingshan to the basaltic columns of the Penghu Islands; from the war site of Kinmen to the urban forest of Shoushan. The nine national parks cover all major ecosystems and geological types in Taiwan.

This is a three-dimensional protective net, with clear functional divisions by ecosystem:

Terrestrial Zones:

• High Mountain Zone: Yushan, Xueba, Taroko protect alpine ecosystems and large mammals.
• Volcanic Zone: Yangmingshan guards the Datun volcanic group and temperate vegetation.
• Coastal Zone: Kenting, Penghu Islands protect coral reef ecosystems.

Land-Water Interface:

• Wetland Zone: Taijiang maintains international wetlands and migratory bird routes.
• Island Zone: Kinmen and Dongsha each bear the responsibility of war history preservation and marine ecosystem conservation.

The National Park Experiment in the City

In December 2011, Shoushan National Nature Park was established, becoming the first national-level protected area located within an urban area in Taiwan. In the southwest corner of Kaohsiung City, within a coral limestone terrain covering about 1,123 hectares, it protects endemic Taiwanese macaques and the largest wild pig population in Taiwan.

This experiment challenges a traditional notion: must national parks be far from cities? Shoushan proves that even on the edge of an urban area, strict protective management can maintain ecological integrity.

✦ "Great Conservation on a Small Island—Taiwan proves that density is not the enemy of conservation; precision is."

Challenges and Controversies: The Troubles of Growth

Recreational Pressure: National Parks Are Not Amusement Parks

The biggest controversy facing Taiwan's national parks stems from a fundamental misunderstanding: many citizens treat "National Park" as merely "a park built by the state."

Professor Wang Zhen-ling from the Department of Land Management at Feng Chia University noted in 2015, "Most citizens, and even the government, have a misunderstanding of 'national parks' based on superficial reading."⁷ The large number of tourists flocking to Kenting and Taroko each year demand guardrails, warning signs, and some have proposed installing power lines on Yushan or building hotels in Yangmingshan stables.

Article 1 of the National Park Act clearly stipulates: "to protect the unique natural scenery, wildlife, and historical sites of the nation, AND to provide recreation for the people." "Recreation" is a secondary purpose, and it is limited only to recreational areas and general control zones, and must not conflict with conservation objectives.

The 2024 Taroko Earthquake: The Dilemma of Conservation and Reconstruction

On April 3, 2024, a major earthquake severely damaged Hualien (Central Weather Administration M_L 7.2 / USGS M_w 7.4), and Taroko National Park was one of the most heavily affected areas. Several trails collapsed, some controlled roads were completely closed, and the earthquake caused casualties, interrupting normal park conservation work for several months.

The Taroko earthquake raised a question that any conservation system must face: how to delineate the boundary between mountain forest conservation and tourism recreation in Taiwan's complex geological environment—this is not just a management issue, but also a disaster prevention policy.

Climate Change: The Survival Crisis of Alpine Species

70% of Taiwan's national park area is above 1,000 meters in altitude, making alpine ecosystems particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. A 1°C temperature rise forces the distribution range of alpine plants to shift upwards by 150–200 meters, but there is no higher ground to retreat to.

The successful restoration of the Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon is, in a way, a race against time. When stream water temperatures exceed 17°C, the national treasure fish cannot survive. Climate change turns conservation into a competition between temperature and preservation speed.

Indigenous Rights: Balancing Conservation and Tradition

The large areas of high-mountain national parks in Taiwan overlap with traditional territories of indigenous peoples. How to balance conservation needs with indigenous rights has always been a sensitive issue. The Bunun people of Yushan, the Atayal people of Xueba, and the Taroko people of Taroko are the earliest guardians of this land, yet they may now have their traditional lifestyles restricted by conservation regulations.

In recent years, national park management offices have begun cooperating with tribes to promote a "community conservation" model: local residents in Kinmen are hired as conservation volunteers, and fishermen cooperate in Taijiang to maintain wetland ecosystems. This model shifts conservation from "external control" to "local participation."

The Next 40 Years: An Era of Marine National Parks?

If the last 40 years were about establishing a high-density national park system in Taiwan, the focus for the next 40 years will be the ocean.

Dongsha Atoll National Park is 99.9% marine area, and the Penghu Islands National Park also covers approximately 99% marine area. This trend reflects a global shift in conservation thinking: moving from "land-first" to "marine and land coexistence."

The conservation potential of Taiwan's surrounding waters is indeed considerable. The Kuroshio Current brings rich marine biodiversity, with coral reef coverage exceeding 60% in some areas, and seagrass ecosystems providing carbon sequestration functions. However, the complexity of marine conservation far exceeds that of terrestrial areas: maritime jurisdiction, fishing rights, international regulations—each is a hundred times more difficult than establishing land protected areas.

📊 Status of Marine Protected Areas
Of Taiwan's existing marine protected areas, four national parks account for over 80% of the marine area; the UN "30x30" goal passed in 2022 requires countries to protect at least 30% of oceans by 2030. The Marine Conservation Act, read in March 2024, is Taiwan's starting point for alignment.⁸

The Grand Picture of a Small Island

Returning to the original question: why does an island smaller than Switzerland need nine national parks?

The answer may not be how small Taiwan is, but how complex it is. On 36,197 square kilometers of land, this island houses all climatic zones from tropical to cold temperate, a complete geological history of plate collision, cultural layers from the South Island languages to Han culture, and nodes in migratory bird routes.

What makes Taiwan's national park system precious is not its area, but the completeness of its types. It protects not just nine points, but the life code of an island.

42 years ago, when Kenting National Park was first established, Taiwan was under martial law. Today, on this island with such high national park density, the global population of the Black-faced Spoonbill has increased 27 times, the Formosan Red-billed Firefly Salmon population has multiplied by 80, and the Taiwanese black bear is no longer endangered. This may be one of the world's most successful high-density conservation experiments: creating miracles through meticulous conservation work in the smallest space.

References

Further Reading

• Introduction to National Parks—Executive Yuan
• Marine Protected Area Management Office (Dongsha Atoll / Penghu Islands)