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COMPASS MAGAZINE, June 1999. VOL. 6 ISSUE 6

Hsitou Forest

By Nick Cupaiuolo

Just two hours south of Taichung's sprawling metropolis lies a beautiful forest area known as Hsitou. Well-known among the locals but often snubbed by the ex-pats, it actually makes for a pleasant excursion. It also offers a glimpse into Taiwan's efforts in environmental conservation.
Provided you can make it on a weekday, you'll enjoy peaceful strolls along quiet mountain trails. Avoid weekends; Sundays in particular, become rather re nau, hardly the best environment to appreciate nature.
Hsitou actually comprises only a small part of a larger entity: the National Taiwan University Experimental Forest. The Experimental Forest was established ninety-seven years ago, when Taiwan was still under Japanese occupation. Its major objectives are research, teaching, conservation and recreation.
Hsitou was established as a recreation area in 1970 and since then, the number of annual visitors has averaged about one million.
There are currently over 150 projects in progress, including several long-experiments. The area is divided into six tracts, each with its own classrooms and student dormitories. The forest provides a natural, open-air laboratory for forestry students to conduct field practice.
Originally, the Experimental Forest was funded through the sale of timber products. Subsequently, focus shifted from timber production to forest protection, and funding went through an evolution as well. As logging decreased and tourism increased, revenue became increasingly generated by visitors.
In recent years, as the Experimental Forest grew in importance as a teaching and research center, it was decided that economic self-sufficiency was not a practical goal and in 1993, the area's operating expenses became included in the government budget. This was good news for forest management officials who no longer had to deal with financial shortages and could tend to the business of running a forest.
Forest operations involve a surprising amount of work. The first step toward a healthy and growing forest is regeneration. To this effect, 700,000 seedlings are raised each year in the forest nurseries.
Due to the cessation of logging in recent years, there has been a corresponding reduction in reforestation; now the majority of replacement planting is in cases of damage from human destruction and natural causes.
To address the problem of human destruction, management officials attend village meetings to discourage the illegal cultivation of forest property. To back up their words, they can legally reclaim and reforest improperly appropriated land. The main criminal element from the natural world are squirrels. Squirrel damage has long been a problem in the experimental forests. When an area comes under particular attack, measures are then taken, normally in the form of poisoned bait. Recently, planting squirrel-resistant hardwood trees and growing squirrel food plants has proven to be an effective alternative method.
Geographically, the Experimental Forest encompasses an area 37 kilometers long and 6 to 14 kilometers wide and stretches roughly from Sun Moon Lake to Jade Mountain, Taiwan's highest peak. It ranges in altitude from 220 to 3,952 meters above sea level, due to the inclusion of Jade Mountain within its boundaries. Due to its topographical range, it represents the four climatic zones in Taiwan: tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and frigid, making it a particularly convenient site for conducting research and field practice.
Hsitou is very green for a good reason: it rains a lot. On the average, nearly a meter of rain per year falls on Hsitou's forests, making an umbrella a useful accessory to bring along.
Within the Experimental Forest, there are a large variety of mammals you would not expect to see in Taiwan such as the Formosan black bear, Formosan wild boar and leopard cat. Don't expect to see them at Hsitou, however; they are residing in the more remote regions of the area.
Hsitou is known for its forests, over 30 percent of which are man-made. There are over 40 species of trees represented, with the first grove having been established in 1908. The more common varieties of trees include conifers, bamboo, ginkgo and numerous hardwood species. There are also many introduced species such as eucalyptus and acacia.
Hsitou has a few interesting sites to investigate such as its longest-residing inhabitant, a red cypress estimated at 2,800 years old. The bamboo plantation, with over 50 different species, is also worth a visit as is the picturesque, terraced seedling nursery. Another Hsitou landmark is the arched bamboo bridge at the University Pond. But the most rewarding activity to be had is simply absorbing the beauty and serenity, two things which are not always easy to find in Taichung.
For residents of central Taiwan, Hsitou makes an easy day-trip. For those who want to make a longer getaway, there is plenty of accommodation during the week.
The most inexpensive option will run about NT1,000 for a comfortable double. Restaurants are notoriously expensive here, so if you are on a budget, bring your own snacks.
There are direct buses to Hsitou from Taichung and Chiayi; from other locations, you can get to Hsitou via Chushan, the town at the base of the mountain. Tickets are about NT$100 one way for the 2 hour bus ride from Taichung.

A WORD OF WARNING: This area has been badly damaged by typhoons and so we recommend you find out how safe it is to travel there before you go.

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