Come watch the first sunrise of 2017 – Taiping Mountain Forest Recreation Area opens early on New Year’s Day

▲ Sunrise at Taiping Mountain. (Photo / Courtesy of the Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan)

Reported by Tsai Wen-jun / Comprehensive report

As 2016 comes to a close with the countdown underway, locations across Taiwan have announced their countdown and sunrise welcoming event schedules. To accommodate those eager to greet the first light of the new year, Taiping Mountain National Forest Recreation Area will open its gates early at 3:00 AM on New Year’s Day next year. Additionally, to maintain ecological tourism standards and traffic quality, a time-restricted policy will be implemented on Cui Feng Scenic Road from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM.

Located at an altitude of 2,000 meters, Taiping Mountain has always been a popular spot for sunrise viewing. According to the Central Weather Bureau, the estimated sunrise time at Taiping Mountain on New Year’s Day 2017 will be between 6:30 AM and 6:50 AM. To make it convenient for visitors to greet the first light of 2017 at Taiping Mountain, the recreation area will open early at 3:00 AM that day. It is recommended that visitors watch the sunrise from viewpoints such as the Taiping Mountain Lodge Observation Deck, the 14K Observation Deck on Cui Feng Scenic Road, and the Wangyangshan Trail Observation Deck. If weather conditions are favorable, there's even a chance to see the Lanyang Plain and Guishan Island.

The Taiping Mountain Forest Recreation Area also stated that a time restriction policy will be in place from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM on New Year’s Day. Vehicle entry onto Cui Feng Scenic Road will be prohibited after 6:30 AM and will return to normal after 9:00 AM. In addition, vehicle passage from Cui Feng Lake to Taiping Mountain Lodge will be restricted before 7:30 AM. Visitors are asked to cooperate with the instructions and guidance of on-duty police officers to ensure driving safety.