The Wufengqi Scenic Area in Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County, which attracts up to 650,000 visitors annually, has had its upper hiking trail section closed for over three years. The Yilan County Government has decided to allocate NT$16 million to carry out safety projects including rockfall interception nets. Starting on the 7th, the entire brush-sloped section of the trail will be closed for one week. The upper section, featuring scenic views such as waterfalls, is expected to reopen at the end of August once the construction is completed.
The Wufengqi Hiking Trail is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections. Visitors can typically reach the upper section in about an hour while enjoying the scenery along the way to admire attractions like the waterfalls. However, more than three years ago, Typhoon Soudelor caused the closure of the upper section, leaving only the lower and middle sections open. Yet even last year, a visitor was injured by a falling rock in the middle section and had to be hospitalized.
Li Yue-ju, head of the Industrial, Commercial and Tourism Department of Yilan County Government, stated that the rock formations at the uppermost part of Wufengqi are not very stable, and protective measures have been frequently damaged due to falling rocks. The county government has thus allocated NT$16 million to implement safety projects including rockfall interception nets and repairs to trail guardrails. Since there is a risk of falling rocks during slope brushing work, the entire trail will be closed for one week.
The lower and middle sections of the trail will reopen on the 14th, with no impact on general visitor routes. However, the platform waterfall area in the middle section will remain closed. Li Yue-ju mentioned that in addition to the NT$16 million safety project, key areas of the trail will be equipped with recording devices connected to a broadcast system in the future to further enhance safety.