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If
you want to know how beautiful Taiwan really is, you have to come and
see for yourself. You will be amazed at the diversity of ancient
species this beautiful and relatively young island has to offer. Come
and explore its numerous mountains, forests, wetlands and oceans, and
find an incredible collection of natural ecosystems. Taiwan is located
along the south east coast of the Asian Continent where the
Asian-tropical zone meets the tropical zone. It is surrounded by
oceans, and as in the past it experienced frequent mountain-building
movement, its landscape is dominated by mountains that rise and fall.
Because of this great fluctuation in elevation, many different factors
influence its Asian-tropical oceanic climate, which is why organic
life on Taiwan is so abundant. Taiwan's diversified natural
environment has produced an extensive and precious collection of
different species that are known around the world, making Taiwan into
a miniature northern hemisphere ecosystem, a natural treasure-house
unique in the world. Visitors will therefore find it well worthwhile
to come and admire this rich flora and fauna as well as explore the
coastal regions and marine life.
COASTAL REGIONS
Taiwan is surrounded by oceans and therefore has a long coastline,
which offers different scenery wherever you go. The West Coast mainly
consists of sand dunes, sand beaches, sand bars and lagoons, and its
straight coastline is rather monotonous. The East Coast on the
contrary presents a dramatic coastline of towering cliffs that almost
directly descend into the deep sea. The coastal plains here are very
narrow. The rock formations at the North Coast alternate with
beautiful bays and offer the most varied coastal landscape of Taiwan,
while the South Coast mainly consists of coral reefs. The off shore
islands of Taiwan also offer a great variety of geographical
landscapes that are characteristic for the region, such as the
basaltic rocks of the Penghu islands, the granite rocks of Kinmen, and
the marine erosions of Mazu.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Taiwan harbors a great diversity of organic life, and some variations
are rarely found elsewhere in the world. An example is the black
forest similar to that in Germany, with vegetation going back 30 to 60
million years, such as Taxus sumatrana, mangrove, Taiwan isoetes, and
the rare high-altitude grass plains. The world's oldest amphibian, the
Formosan salamander, can also be found here, as well as the Formosan
black bear, the Mikado pheasant and the land-locked salmon. The
beautiful azalea, cherry blossom and maple leaf are also subjects of
admiration. If you want to have a taste of this diverse animal and
plant life, consider a visit to one of Taiwan's national scenic areas,
national parks or forests, or nature reserves, as these form the most
ideal outdoor natural resource learning opportunities in Taiwan.
Taiwan's national parks, including Yangmingshan, Taroko, Yushan, Shei-Pa,
Kenting, and Kinmen, form the back garden of Taiwan and in themselves
are natural treasure-houses. Next to beautiful scenery, they provide
shelter to unique animal and plant life, including insects, fish, and
birds. The natural reserves actually form miniature ecosystems that
not only provide a protected environment but also offer a great
alternative for recreational activities, environmental education and
academic research. Here, visitors can get away from their hectic lives
in the city and enjoy the serene environment.
You can also come to Taiwan to watch its numerous butterflies and
birds. Some 17,000 different butterflies are known around the world;
almost 400 can be seen in Taiwan, 50 of which are endemic to the
island. There are many different sites where you can go to watch them
dance in the air, including Doll Valley in Wulai near Taipei,
Yangmingshan National Park, Mt. Jiaoban, and Mt.Lala along the
Northern Cross-Island Highway, Qilan near Taipingshan, Guguan, Lishan,
and Cuifeng along the Central Cross-Island Highway, Nanshan River and
Huisun Forest near Puli, Shanlinxi in Nantou County, Butterfly Valley
in Pingtung County, Sheding Park and Nanrenshan in Kenting, and
Butterfly Valley in Taitung.
Because of its warm and humid climate, Taiwan has an extremely rich
vegetation which attracts many birds. Located at the western edge of
the Pacific Ocean, it also is a favorite resting area for migratory
birds. Resident and migratory birds total some 440 species, and
endemic birds such as the black-faced spoonbill and the Sterna
leucoptera can be seen here. Sites for watching these migratory birds
include The Guandu swamplands in northern Taiwan, Ilan swamplands,
mouth of the, Exit Dadu River in central Taiwan and Gaopin River in
southern Taiwan. Other bird-watching sites are the Penghu islands,
Mazu, Wulai, Mt. g Hehuan, Xitou, Alishan, Yangmingshan National Park,
Yushan National Park, Shei-Pa National Park, Taroko National Park,
Kenting National Park, Kinmen National Park, Northeast Coast National
Scenic Area, and East Coast and the East Rift Valley national dcenic
areas.
MARINE LIFE
As Taiwan is surrounded by oceans, marine life and other oceanic
resources are abundant and diverse. The clear waters and warm climate
of Kenting and Green Island, for example, provide the ideal
environment for colorful and peculiarly shaped coral reefs. These not
only form the architecture of the undersea world, but also provide
shelter for all kinds of tropical fish. In Wangan Island on the
Penghus, as well as Orchid Island in Taitung County, you can even see
the green sea turtle coming to shore to lay its eggs. Along Taiwan's
East Coast, particularly off the coast of Ilan, Hualien, and Taitung,
more than 60% of all whale and dolphin species that are found in
Taiwan can be spotted. You can choose to take one of the boat trips
that are organized in this area. While listening to the introduction
by professional whale spotters, the chance of seeing these
extraordinary creatures is as high as 90%. |
