Comparing Japanese and Taiwanese mountain-climbing cultures, he points out Taiwan’s “absurd type of blind copying”

Looking out from Guanwu toward the peaks of the Holy Ridge mountain range, a vast expanse of snow-covered summits unfolds, breathtakingly beautiful. (Photo by Li Jialing)

The beauty of Taiwan’s mountain forests is no less than that of Japan’s, but mountain photography enthusiast “Snow Sheep” recently shared an article on his Facebook fan page titled “Why Go Abroad to Hike?” In it, he reflects on how many flaws exist in Taiwan’s mountain-climbing culture—where people blindly copy foreign practices without considering the different environments between Taiwan and Japan, turning it into what he calls an “absurd type of blind copying.” He laments, “Blindly copying someone else’s good ideas is a total tragedy.”

He uses two common issues in Taiwan’s mountain-climbing scene as examples. The first is the absurd type of blind copying seen at a well-known mountain lodge in Taiwan. The result of blindly imitating foreign designs is that what was originally a “drying room” in Japanese mountain lodges—meant for drying gear—has, in Taiwan, become a “humid and stuffy room” due to the lack of a constant and unlimited supply of heat. This makes the experience even more uncomfortable when climbers enter the room wearing damp clothes.

The second issue is Taiwan’s “mandatory” mountain insurance. He points out that Japan’s mountain insurance has reasonable rates and comprehensive coverage—even without being mandatory, most Japanese hikers choose to buy it voluntarily. In contrast, Taiwan’s government “forcefully pushes” its policy, resulting in coverage and rates that are “extremely unreasonable,” and in some cases, the insurance doesn’t even pay out. He harshly criticizes this as a “malicious form of blind copying.”

Taiwan does indeed need to learn from foreign examples, but he also sighs, “Blindly copying someone else’s good ideas is a total tragedy.” It’s essential to understand the context before thinking about what kind of mountain culture and direction is suitable for Taiwan. He also emphasizes, “Taiwan doesn’t have what Japan has, but Japan also doesn’t have what Taiwan has.”