The Lalashan (R'ra) Mountain National Forest Recreation Area, the first initiated and established locally, is also the 19th national forest recreation area in Taiwan. Today (18), under the witness of Forestry Bureau Director General Lin Hwa-Ching, Hsinchu Forest District Office Director Hsia Jung-Sheng, the Taoyuan City Government Tourism Bureau, the Indigenous Peoples Department, Taoyuan City Fuxing District Director You Zheng-Ying, and many local representatives witnessed the official beginning of services. From now until September 30, 2023, visitors can enter with a half-price discount of NT$100. Citizens are welcome to enter Lalashan to experience its new look as well as its natural, cultural elegance.
Under the warm spring sunshine, the Lalashan (R'ra) Giant Tree area officially became a national forest recreation area. The opening ceremony kicked off with an Atayal-language song-and-dance drama, and the Atayal Harvest Celebration Chorus presented by Balung Elementary School and Guanghua Elementary School. Also invited was elder Chen Song-Ming of the Balung tribe to offer blessings for the opening of the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area with a traditional Atayal ceremony. At the opening ceremony, guests including Hsinchu Forest District Office Director Hsia Jung-Sheng specially invited Forestry Bureau Director General Lin Hwa-Ching, Deputy Director General Liao Yi-Kuang, Deputy Director General Lin Mo-Zhen, Director Chen Zi-Ling of the Taoyuan County Government Indigenous Peoples Department, Taoyuan City Fuxing District Director You Zheng-Ying, Representative Chen Rong-Guang, co-convener of the Lalashan Co-management Committee, and Liang Ya-Hui, Village Head of Hualing Village, Fuxing District, hung a wooden rattan ball representing the Atayal culture, animal, and plant elements in the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area on the image of the giant tree of the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area, symbolizing the vitality and diversity of Lalashan forest. Coinciding with the opening of the park was the park guide film, "How are you, Lala?", awarded in the 2023 Japan World's Tourism Film Festival and the 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, which was previewed along with a local community guide certification ceremony. It is worth mentioning that all the village heads of the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City, where Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area is located, and the tribal heads of the surrounding areas were also gathered at Lalashan today to participate in the event, showing the strong local support for the establishment of Lalashan.
Hsinchu Forest District Office Director Hsia Jung-Sheng said that the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area is located in the mid-altitude cloud forest belt, and the area, with its giant Taiwan red cypresses and Taiwan cypresses, is one of the best places to encounter giant trees in northern Taiwan. According to the latest data on giant tree ages, the No. 24 giant Taiwan red cypress tree in the area is 1,495 years old, second only to the No. 2 giant Taiwan red cypress tree in the Alishan giant tree group (1,515 years old). The area also includes trees ranked 2-6 on Taiwan's Top-10 giant tree rankings. In addition, the park is also an important habitat for many wild animals and plants. The Taiwan blue magpie, Taiwan vivid niltava, and Taiwan serow are representative of the forest ecosystem in the mid-altitude mountainous areas of the north, and are worth a visit.
At the same time, Director Hsia also smiled as he recounted the mental journey of the people who cooperated in the Lalashan transformation over the recent years. In terms of physical changes, the integration of road indicators both inside and outside the area, improved landscaping, improved pavement on forest roads, optimization of visitor center facilities, and even health inspection and age inspection for giant trees in the area. Aside from the physical changes, there was also personnel training, guide video filming, local community guide training, and shuttle taxi fleet alliances. In all, countless work items have been completed, and many challenges and obstacles were met in the process. However, the recognition of local tribes and the support of the Forest Bureau were all important forces that spurred today’s achievement of Lalashan. The various works in the park also followed the original purpose of the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area, and are closely integrated with the local Balung tribe. This can be seen in the area’s logo design, its display, filming, trail crossing bridge naming, and even the event slogan "Walking Hand-in-Hand to Lalashan (R'ra)", all expressing the goal to work together for the common prosperity and the good of the park and the surrounding Atayal tribes.
Forestry Bureau Director General Lin Hwa-Ching also mentioned in his opening address that in the past, there were often incompatibilities between national laws and the inherent natural resource rights of the indigenous peoples, which led to the alienation of indigenous people from the mountains and forests, in turn leading to conflicts and misunderstandings between indigenous peoples and the Forestry Bureau. In recent years, the Forestry Bureau has gradually adjusted and amended laws and promoted policies such as co-management of forests, which have helped to heal the intimate relationship between the tribal peoples and forests. The Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area is the best expression of the Forestry Bureau’s efforts to promote the co-management policy of the indigenous peoples over the years. The director general also said that he believes that Lalashan’s new facilities and services, unique cloud forest, and Atayal mountain forest culture will become highlights of tourism for northern Taiwan. It is also expected that with the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area as a hub, it will provide a connection to the tourism of various tribes in the Fuxing area, substantially benefiting local economic development and connecting multiple stakeholders as they jointly create a tourism axis for Provincial Highway 7 and a brand image for forest travel.
Visitors to the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area can enjoy a half-price discount of NT$100 for entry into the park from April 18 to September 30; seniors over 65, children aged 3 to 6, and elementary school students in non-holiday outdoor education can all enjoy a NT$10 discount ticket. Visitors taking the "Lalashan Fleet shuttle bus in cooperation with the Hsinchu Forest District Office can enjoy a 50% and 20% discount. For more information, please visit the
Taiwan Forest Recreation website; or, check the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/LalashanNationalForest).
Home
Taiwan High Speed Rail