Premier Su Tseng-chang today announced five major new mountain access policies. In the future, apart from cases involving national defense necessity, rugged terrain, danger, indigenous sacred sites, or absolute conservation needs, all areas will be open. Future mountain expeditions will also adopt self-management and enforce the "user-pays" principle for rescue operations. Additionally, Premier Su today delved into the "politics of mountaineering," joking that his lack of experience climbing Yushan (Jade Mountain) explains why he isn’t president, and subtly suggesting that "only those who climb know their own limits—and shouldn’t always be signing up to run for office."
Premier Su Tseng-chang attended a "Salute to the Mountains" press conference at the Executive Yuan today, unveiling the five key policy pillars of the new mountain access initiative. The premier said that in the past, the government played a role of "regulating" and "blocking," but today he announced that the government will now act as a "platform." "The mountains belong to everyone, and we want to salute them."
He said that in the past, due to a management approach focused on restricting access, mountains were not only hard to enter, but many service facilities were inadequate—mountain huts were substandard, dilapidated, and rudimentary. Taiwan has these natural treasures, yet could only sigh at them from afar, all because of the wrong attitude. Therefore, these five major policies were developed through lengthy discussions involving 15 ministries and commissions, as well as input from hikers and various stakeholders. "This is just the beginning."
Premier Su said the first of the five policies is "openness." In the future, apart from cases involving national defense necessity, rugged terrain, danger, indigenous sacred sites, or absolute conservation needs, all areas will be open. The second is "transparency"—moving forward with one-stop management, avoiding fragmented oversight, with clear online regulations. The government’s role is simply to inform hikers, who must prepare themselves independently.
On the topic of "service," the premier said the Executive Yuan has allocated NT$700 million over four years to renovate and rebuild existing mountain huts, making them truly usable. He also joked that he has never climbed Yushan himself, "no wonder I can’t be president." In the future, not only will information services and infrastructure be improved, but base stations will also be installed. The base station at Yushan’s North Peak will be completed in August, improving communications across the area, along with better signage.
As for "education," Premier Su said it should start from childhood—encouraging kids to explore, take risks, and go stream tracing, learning to climb from a young age and be well-prepared. Shifting tone, he also subtly criticized some political candidates, saying, "Only those who climb know their own limits—and shouldn’t always be signing up to run for office."
Regarding the view among some hikers that the user-pays principle for rescue operations is punitive, Premier Su responded that while some hold this opinion, others believe hikers should be well-prepared, self-disciplined, and self-managed. "What’s the best way forward? We need to discuss it with all stakeholders. The Executive Yuan is moving forward based on these five policy pillars."
Finally, the premier addressed the issue of "responsibility" in self-management. With clear responsibilities, civil servants will feel more empowered, enabling the public to respect, access, and preserve the mountains. "Today is just the beginning. Please give it a try, and let us know what else needs to be improved."
(China Times)