The Executive Yuan is set to announce the full opening of mountainous areas. Insiders revealed that Premier Su Tseng-chang will hold a press conference on Monday (the 23rd) at Yangmingshan Mountain. Cross-ministerial agencies including the Forestry Bureau, Sports Administration, Tourism Bureau, and Ministry of the Interior will formally unveil the latest policies on mountain access and services. It is understood that the government has often cited poor road conditions as a reason to close mountains, but following Premier Su’s directive, all mountains will be fully opened, benefiting hikers.
To align with the opening up of mountainous areas and implement the "full access with effective management" approach, the National Development Council’s Public Policy Network Participation Platform is currently soliciting public opinions on five major pillars of mountain policy: "Open Mountains, Effective Management," "Transparent Information, Simplified Applications," "Facility Services, People-Oriented Approach," "Mountain Education, Universal Implementation," and "Responsibility Taking, Concept Dissemination." Feedback is being collected before September 30th to ensure Taiwan’s future mountain policies are a collaborative achievement between the government and the public.
The National Development Council stated that Taiwan has over 200 mountains exceeding 3,000 meters in elevation. Japan, with a land area ten times that of Taiwan, has only around 10 such peaks. Coupled with Taiwan’s subtropical location, it boasts rich natural and cultural landscapes. These unique advantages are conducive to promoting hiking activities. The government will abandon unnecessary regulatory mindsets and encourage people to respond to the call of the mountains.
It has been reported that the Executive Yuan has recently held intensive discussions with cross-ministerial agencies such as the Forestry Bureau, Sports Administration
According to feedback from hikers, the Construction and Planning Agency has been actively integrating and developing the mountain hut booking website, aiming to allow hikers to book huts through a single platform using a unified method—eliminating inconsistencies caused by different managing authorities. The agency also plans to continuously optimize and expand the site’s functionality, with completion expected by November.
The Construction and Planning Agency has incorporated a comprehensive mountain hut improvement plan into the national parks mid-term plan (2020–2023), upgrading existing hut facilities across three alpine national parks: Yushan, Taroko, and Shei-Pa. The agency is also actively allocating budgets and increasing manpower for inspections, ensuring the proper preparation of signage and trail systems in these high-altitude national parks.
(China Times)