Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area Trails

During the Japanese Rule, the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area was an important lumber yard in central Taiwan. Accordingly, the scenery of the grassland was similar to the scenery around Daisetsuzan (Big Snow Mountain) in Hokkaido; therefore, the Japanese named it Daxueshan (Big Snow Mountain). Setting out from Dongshi and traveling up Daxueshan Forest Road, one can see obvious changes in forest physiognomy as a result of altitude variation: from broadleaf forests to mixed conifer-broadleaf forests and to conifer forests. Since the area is in the cloud forest belt, the weather is changeful. The administration of the recreation area has designed several trails and each of them has its unique features in different seasons, such as high mountain flowers in spring and summer and leaf color changes in autumn and winter. This is also the best spot for star gazing.