No more free entry！ Taiwan’s 3 national parks to start charging fees from as early as 2016

Reported by Tsai Wen-jun / Taipei

National parks may start charging fees as early as 2016！ According to the “Approved Report on the Medium-Term Plan of the Ministry of the Interior’s National Parks” published by the Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, Yangmingshan, Kenting, and Kinmen have been selected as the first phase of national parks to begin charging, while Taroko and Shoushan Nature Park are also under consideration.

▲ Yangmingshan’s Qingshuiyuan will start charging in the future. (Photo / Screenshot from the official website of Yangmingshan National Park)

Yangmingshan National Park fee structure

Zhang Shun-fa, secretary of the Yangmingshan National Park Administration, stated that according to the administration’s plans, starting in 2016, fees will first be charged for irregularly held environmental education camp programs, such as children’s camps and youth camps, with each person paying NT$300 and each session limited to about 20 participants. However, school field trips, such as those from elementary schools, will remain free for the time being.

Zhang then pointed out that starting in 2018, ecological protection zones, as well as enclosed and open sites within Yangmingshan, will also begin charging fees:

1. Enclosed sites: Tianxiyuan, with an expected fee of NT$100 per person, one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, each session accommodating about 30 people.

2. Open sites: Datun, Erziping, Xiaoyoukeng, Qingshuiyuan, and Lengshuikeng, where entry will adopt a unified fee for both people and vehicles: large tour buses will be charged NT$3,000 per vehicle, medium-sized vehicles NT$1,500 per vehicle, 9-seater minibuses NT$500 per vehicle, and small cars NT$300 per vehicle.

In addition, the men’s and women’s public hot spring baths in the Lengshuikeng recreation area will start charging by time slot from 2018, at NT$50 per person, but the outdoor foot soaking pools will remain free to use.

3. Deer Horn Gully and Huangzui Mountain ecological protection zones: Starting in 2018, an entrance permit fee of NT$100 per person will be charged.

▲ Kinmen’s Zhaishan Tunnel. (Photo / Taken from the official website of Kinmen National Park)

Kinmen National Park fee structure

According to the Ministry of the Interior’s plan, starting in 2016, attractions in Kinmen National Park will be divided into three parts for charging:

1. De Yue Lou, Overseas Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall, and Jinshui Elementary School will share a common fee of NT$50 per person.
2. Zhaishan Tunnel, Zhongshanlin Visitor Center, Rushan Visitor Center, and Chiang Ching-kuo Memorial Hall will share a common fee of NT$50 per person.
3. Shuangli Wetland Nature Center, Mashan Observation Post, Jiugong Tunnel, and Lieyu Visitor Center will each charge NT$30 per site.

If visitors wish to explore everything in one go, they can also purchase a combo ticket for NT$200. However, the Kinmen National Park Administration stated that the above fee structure has not yet been confirmed and will be finalized only after discussing relevant supporting measures.

▲ Kenting’s Niaupihou. (Photo / Taken from the official website of Kenting National Park)

Kenting National Park fee structure

Regarding Kenting National Park, in addition to formulating an entrance ticket fee structure, the Ministry of the Interior has also stipulated various fees such as venue usage fees for large music festival organizers, glass-bottom boat monitoring, night diving, etc. Although the Kenting National Park Administration stated that these are all still in the planning stage and not yet confirmed, they hope to implement them as early as 2016.

1. Entrance fee for Kenting’s Niaupihou Park: NT$30 per person.
2. Spring Outdoor Music Festival event application review and venue usage fees: NT$520,000.
3. Glass-bottom boat and other marine recreation activities: NT$20,000 monitoring fee per vessel.
4. Application review for night diving and night sailing: NT$300 review fee per application per instance.
5. Conducting environmental education outdoor teaching within the national park: NT$2,000 per session.