The injured taken to Puli Christian Hospital were the couple Zhang Qiulin and Xie Xiuzhi, along with Chen Hongzhang, Guo Debin, and Huang Wenliang. All five experienced persistent, intense stinging and burning sensations on their skin. Huang Wenliang suffered an allergic reaction, with swelling in his limbs, the appearance of roseola rashes, difficulty breathing, and vomiting. After being given antihistamine injections by the Lishan Health Station to counter the allergic reaction, they were urgently transported down the mountain.
The injured taken to Puli Christian Hospital were the couple Zhang Qiulin and Xie Xiuzhi, along with Chen Hongzhang, Guo Debin, and Huang Wenliang. All five experienced persistent, intense stinging and burning sensations on their skin. Huang Wenliang suffered an allergic reaction, with swelling in his limbs, the appearance of roseola rashes, difficulty breathing, and vomiting. After being given antihistamine injections by the Lishan Health Station to counter the allergic reaction, they were urgently transported down the mountain.
Eight students from National Chengchi University began their climb on the evening of the 16th from the Huanshan Tribe trailhead. At around 3.3 kilometers along the trail, they were suddenly attacked by hornets. Two female students, surnamed Wang and Luo, were stung—the woman surnamed Wang experienced swelling in her right eye. The group retreated to set up camp at the 2.2-kilometer point before descending the next day to seek medical treatment.
The Taichung County Mountaineering Association set off at 3:30 a.m. on the 17th from the same trailhead. Passing the campsite of the NCCU students, the two groups did not communicate due to the early hour, and the association members were unaware that some had already been attacked by hornets.
Zhang Qiulin said that around 5 a.m., the group reached the ridge after ascending from the trailhead. He was walking in the middle of the group when, after about 350 meters, there was a sudden outcry from the back: “Hornets!” Instantly, intense pain followed.
During the retreat, several team members fell, losing their headlamps and hats. Zhang Qiulin fearlessly brushed hornets off his wife, resulting in his hands and shoulders being badly stung. He said, “The stingers went through my long-sleeve moisture-wicking shirt—I couldn’t brush them off, so I had to pull them out with my hands. It was truly terrifying!”
About three minutes later, the group moved out of the hornets’ attack range, but Huang Wenliang collapsed, suffering from vomiting, shivering, and difficulty breathing. The team leader decided to retreat. Along the way, they flagged down a farmer driving a track-mounted vehicle and asked for help reporting the incident. The injured were then taken to the Lishan Health Station for emergency treatment.
Zhang Qiulin said that a round-trip climb of Zhijaiyang Mountain typically takes at least ten hours. Had the hornet attack occurred further up the mountain, delaying access to medical care, the consequences could have been dire. Huang Wenliang remarked, “I’ve been climbing for many years, but this is the first time I’ve been stung by hornets. I didn’t know I was allergic to their venom. I’ll have to be extra cautious in the mountains from now on.”
Lin Zongqi, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at National Changhua University of Education, pointed out that nighttime attacks on hikers are quite unusual. It’s likely that a team member inadvertently disturbed a hornet nest or that the light from a headlamp or flashlight shone on it. Hornets resting inside were startled by the light and swarmed out to attack the illuminated area.