Let nature rest: “Angel’s Tear” Lake Jiaming to close for three months starting January

▲ Lake Jiaming entered its mountain closure period on January 5, 2017. (Photo / Kaohsiung Food Map)

Reported by Tsai Wen-jun / Compiled by staff

Known as the “Angel’s Tear,” Lake Jiaming will enter a mountain closure period from January 5 to March 31 to allow natural ecosystems and wildlife to recover. During this time, the Lake Jiaming National Trail, along with all mountain huts and campsites along the route, will be completely closed. Applications for mountain hut stays and day hikes will also be suspended.

The Taiwan Forestry Bureau’s Taitung Forest District Office stated that since 2016, Lake Jiaming has implemented a daily visitor quota of 176 people in an effort to reduce environmental impact by dispersing visitors. However, the amount of litter has not decreased—many hikers or tourists have carelessly dumped large amounts of kitchen waste around the mountain huts, attracting Formosan black bears to forage near the huts.

During the three-month mountain closure, the mountain hut cleaning team will thoroughly remove trash (including kitchen waste) around the trail and huts to help prevent Formosan black bears from developing a dependency on human food. Hikers are urged to pack out all kitchen waste, food, and packaging (bags or cans). During the closure, the Shiyang Mountain Hut, Lake Jiaming Mountain Hut, and Lake Jiaming Campsite will all be closed. However, the Shiyang Campsite, located near Shiyang Forest Recreation Area, will remain open and available for reservations.