Introduction
Medicinal plants are one of the most important forest products. However, past forestry models focused exclusively on wood. Modern forestry is only now starting to recognize the importance of medicinal plants. With the rise of interest in natural healing, medicinal plants are valued by both doctors and the public. In the colonial period, the original name for Lienhuachih was “the medical herb garden,” and the garden was established because over 400 herbs with medical uses grew in local forests.
Under the “Lienhuachih natural resources conservation plan," Lienhuachih has received support from the Council of Agriculture and the Agriculture and Forest Department of the Taiwan provincial government. In 1990, the two-hectare medicinal herb garden was established, and a greenhouse for plants with specific commercial uses was built at a nursery in Houlun. The objective was to cultivate useful wild plants.
Lienhuachih was primarily set up to attract researchers into the area of medicinal herbs, and to provide them with an opportunity to observe living medicinal plants. Groups from many universities have visited. In future the garden will develop by adding more species and establishing more links with universities.