“We’re all for user-pays,” said Lin Fa-gui, former chairman of the Taitung County Mountaineering Association, regarding the upcoming fee implementation for the Jiaming Lake National Trail starting April 1. He noted that in recent years, Jiaming Lake has been overcrowded, impacting the local flora and fauna, and that it’s necessary to enforce a visitor cap to prevent the “Sapphire” from losing its sparkle.
A Jiaming Lake, resembling a sapphire, is nestled on the mountainside of Sancha Mountain at an elevation of 3,260 meters. Thanks to its stunning scenery, it has become a popular hiking destination over the past seven or eight years. With over 20 years of mountaineering experience and having hiked the Jiaming Lake Trail nearly 10 times, Lin said that on holidays, the area is almost “overrun with people,” and the local ecology can no longer handle the load.
He added that the Taitung Forest District Office’s implementation of a visitor cap and accommodation fees is something the Taitung Mountaineering Association supports. However, the lottery system and waiting list for beds may cause some inconvenience, but it’s a necessary step for forest conservation. He also emphasized that Jiaming Lake features dramatic elevation changes, rising sharply from near sea level to altitudes between 2,000–3,000 meters, which can make it easy to misjudge one’s physical condition. Therefore, hikers should be well-prepared to avoid altitude sickness, and he recommends planning at least a 3-day, 2-night trip rather than rushing up and down.
Yu Chung-yi, magistrate of Haiduan Township, also believes that providing convenient facilities in such a remote area far from the city justifies the fees. He said that the township office and the forest district office have established a co-management mechanism, under which future trash cleanup within the area will be jointly maintained by the township office and local tribes, aiming to improve the lodging chaos caused by excessive visitors in the past.