The Hengchun Traverse is a newly developed, off-the-beaten-path route introduced by eco-tourism guides over the past two years, gaining popularity due to its rich biodiversity. However, once hikers learned about this trail, they invited friends to join them for hikes. Not only did they trample the grass bare, but they also tied ribbons along the way—around 300 to 400 ribbons in just a 7–8 km stretch. Volunteers would remove the ribbons, only for hikers to tie more, which has been incredibly frustrating.
The Hengchun Traverse is a north-south route that goes from Chiniuling through Dashanmu Mountain to Dajianshan in Kenting. It was originally a mountain path used by local Hengchun residents, but fell into disuse as road transportation became more convenient, gradually becoming overgrown. Li Dongfang, head of the Oriental Footprints Interpretation Team, rediscovered this trail two years ago and began offering guided tours. Thanks to its pristine ecology, the route quickly gained popularity.
Li Dongfang said that to prevent excessive visitor impact on the original environment, they only organize one tour group every one to two months. Because grass and vegetation grow back quickly, the team has to clear the trail before each trip. Later, after several hikers came to experience the trail, they started inviting friends, even chartering tour buses to share their discovery of this hidden gem.
But hikers have also brought unsightly habits—various hiking groups have tied ribbons bearing their club names along the trail to “claim territory.” In less than 10 km, there were as many as 300 to 400 ribbons. Li Dongfang removed them once last November, but was shocked to find the trail covered in ribbons again during a recent visit. After taking photos and posting them online, netizens expressed widespread outrage.
Li Dongfang said that although the route isn’t at a high altitude, it’s very pristine, and those unfamiliar with it can easily get lost—there was even a hiker lost incident last year. Now, with a surge of visitors, the grass along the trail has been trampled bare, and the ecology has been severely affected. Since banning access isn’t feasible, they can only rely on moral persuasion or public opinion to help regulate behavior.