Taiwan Forestry Research InstituteTaiwan Forestry Research Institute

The Shanping Nature Education Center is at an altitude of 750m. It is an ideal site for observation of nature, surrounded by forest with a relatively untouched ecosystem, full of biological resources. The clear waters of the Shanping River flow through the site, bringing life to the remarkable variety of trees growing here. Lauraceae and Fagaceae make up the bulk of the forest, but a survey of the park has found 658 species of plants. It also recorded 139 species of butterfly, and there are thousands of moths. It is estimated that at least 50 families of insects are represented, and it is also easy to find signs of the many mammals that make their homes here.

Shanping is in Maolin village, Kaohsiung. It was originally operated by Kyoto University. After the end of the colonial period, there were several administrative changes, and Shanping is now managed as part of Liouguei Research Center. Shanping was set up with four major objectives: (1) The Shanping nursery was an important center for sapling propagation; (2) production of cinchona (quinine) bark; (3) maintaining a large and diverse collection of trees; (4) being the major forest research site in southern Taiwan. Today, the research work continues. There are several ongoing research projects at Shanping, and it is a place where researchers can drop in, meet, and exchange ideas and results.

Shanping was planned as a central forest research base, a forest classroom. In recent years awareness has grown in Taiwan of the importance of ecological education, and Shanping was chosen because of its natural diversity, accessibility and scope for development. Since 1995, Shanping has been included in the provincial government budget as an educational zone for forest ecology. Shanping is divided into three areas: environmental protection area, ecological education area, and administration area. The whole complex is geared toward education, and it is hoped that visitors will take the opportunity to get closer to nature, and thus come to understand the relationship between man and nature.

There are 134 species of bird in Shanping. About two thirds of the resident birds native to Taiwan can be found here, and it is a favorite destination for birdwatchers. It was the site for the filming of the classic nature film “Blue Magpies Flying By”, and over half of the scenes in “100 Years of Taiwanese Wild Birds” and the amazing “The Maroon Oriole Spreads Its Wings”. The possibility of catching a collared scops owl at night rounds off the attraction, and makes Shanping a must stop on any bird-watching trail.

But Shanping's attractions are not limited to the natural world. Its Rukai slate houses are a fine example of Rukai traditional culture. The forest paths that the earliest aboriginal inhabitants cut through the forest also remain. Some have been built into modern forest roads, others are still the ancient tracks they were hundreds of years ago. At the end of the southern phoenix forest road is “Aiyung Tao” one of the original paths cut by the Japanese as they forced their way over the mountains to take full control of Taiwan. It is also well worth a visit.

Driving is the best way to reach Shanping. Follow highway 184 up the slope after Liouguei Bridge, then turn right onto highway 27. Go straight on for about 2.5km, then take the left fork, which is the Shanping forest road. The entrance to Shanping is 8 km up this road.

Take the public bus from Kaohsiung to Liouguei, then take a taxi up to Shanping.

The bamboo scholar Lin Wei-chih collected 46 species of bamboo, from Taiwan and other Asian countries and brought them to Shanping. They have been carefully cultivated, and now form a large bamboo garden covering 2 hectares of forest land. This garden, which opened in 1970, is the oldest in Taiwan. The bamboo are displayed and described for the public, but the garden is also used for bamboo research: cultivation and propagation, silviculture, fiber production, etc. In the garden a whole world of bamboo awaits you. There are soaring giant bamboo, square bamboo (which really looks like the name suggests), common bamboo with its ribbed shape, and many more.

The tropical display forest includes 177 species of seed plants from 63 families in 4.2 hectares. The display forest was started by the Japanese authorities in the colonial period. They selected a plot of land on the hillside in front of the administrative center, and over the years researchers planted more and more trees, increasing the range little by little each time. Today it is an important site for education on forests and trees. The display forest contains some foreign trees which are very rare in Taiwan. These include the Kashmir cypress; the metasequoia, known as a “living fossil; and the Japanese chestnut, the source of most of the chestnuts we eat. All of these trees are fascinating to see and experience.

This zone is about one hectare in size, and here visitors can see nanmu trees, one of China's most prized timber trees. There is over a kilometer of footpath through the forest, giving visitors the chance to get close to the trees. The main species in this area are large-leafed nanmu, incense nanmu, red nanmu and Philippine nanmu. Nanmu are a part of the laurel family, and several other related laurels can also be seen: the camphor tree, Litsea hypophaea, Phoebe formosana, Chinese cryptocarya, etc. Growing among them are shrubs including Michelia compressa, Chinese soapberry, Koelreuteria henryi, and Formosan turpinia. With so many species, this zone is a mecca for botanical researchers.

The ornamental plant zone is on the site of the original nursery. In colonial times, cinchona trees were cultivated here; it now produces a full range of ornamental and commercial trees which will be the research station's future stock. These include trees with spectacular autumn foliage, with scented flowers, medicinal uses, and trees that attract birds or butterflies. Visitors can learn about commercial trees like pseudocinnamon, used for medicines and spices; and cape jasmine or port wine magnolia, which are processed to make perfume.

As plants adapt to variation in temperature and weather throughout the year, internal changes are matched by changes to their external form. The most brilliant of these changes is the changing of the leaves on deciduous trees. As winter approaches, the temperature drops and the nights become much colder than the days, and trees' physiological processes gradually shut down. Less nutrients are delivered to the leaves, and the chlorophyll in the leaves slowly breaks down. The color that leave turn depends on their chemical composition. Red pigments like erythrophyll and anthocyanins make the leaves turn red; yellow pigments like luteins and carotene make them turn yellow. Tannins make leaves brown. In Shanping, most deciduous trees turn red or yellow. Reds include cinchona trees, Chinese tallow, woodland elaeocarpus, Ceylon-olive elaeocarpus, Oliver's maple, wax tree; yellows include the monkey slip tree, Japanese Zelkova, Chinese soapberry. In early autumn the forest is a riot of color; in winter the leaves drift down from the trees; spring brings fresh new buds and leaves; and summer is the season of lush greenness. Shanping's deciduous trees display the four seasons for visitors, presenting them with another view of life's cycle.

The stout camphor tree is a cinnamomum kanehirae, part of the laurel family, and is one of Taiwan's most valuable trees. It has distinctive three-nerved leaves, and is native to Taiwan's low-mid altitude hardwood forests (200-2,000m above sea level). In form it is straight and robust, making it an excellent ornamental tree. The wood of the stout camphor is also very fine, possessing a unique aroma. It is ideal for wood carving and furniture making. In old growth forests, mature stout camphors are tall, and their seeds are attractive to both birds and squirrels, so seeds are difficult to harvest. Because of this difficulty, stout camphors have rarely been cultivated. When cultivation is carried out, asexual propagation techniques are used.

The materials for asexual propagation are taken from a specially-designated stand, which was set up to ensure a stable supply of high-quality stout camphor. Here cuttings can be obtained with minimal effort, and at no danger to the foresters. This stand plays an important role in the cultivation of stout camphor trees.

The Teng Chuan is behind the work station, between the station and the end of the ridge. It is the center of Shanping, and a convenient reference point wherever you're going. If you turn north, you enter the ecological education area; to the south is the way to the car park. East is the forest and the mountains, and to the southeast is no. 4 drainage basin.

The Teng Chuan was previously a nursery, and the forest here is secondary, in planted stands. The stands include Taiwania, China fir, Luchu pine, Taiwan incense-cedar, Michelia compressa, and Taiwanese giant bamboo. Among the stands, arabica coffee, quinine bark and quinine tree shrubs have established themselves. In the old growth forest, the major trees are red bark slugwood, Engelhardia roxburghiana, Formosan turpinia, chinkapin, Cinnamomum philippinense, Chinese Cryptocarya, schefflera, Octophylla Schima superba, Michelia compressa. Pellionia radicans is the major shrub under the canopy. With this diversity, the Teng Chuan old growth forest forms a natural display forest, drawing the visitor into the mysteries of nature.

Shanping's car park was finished in 1995, making it easy for drivers to park and visit the park. It has made traffic management simpler, but it also serves as part of the educational experience of the park. The exterior of the parking structure is covered with climbing plants such as common allamanda, bleeding heart vine, Japanese honeysuckle, garlic vine, flame vine, bengal clock vine. These species are trained to grow over the top of the structure as a shade, forming a beautiful montage of leaves, flowers and fruit. When visitors get out of their cars, they see a glorious vision of plantlife, and from the signs identifying each vine, they can begin to understand and recognize the plants around them. It is a dramatic and enticing entry to the park.

Shanping was originally a drying site for cinchona bark. Cinchona trees produce quinine, which was used to treat malaria. The active component is in their bark, which must be sun-dried. The space they used is still a broad open field. Today it is an excellent birdwatching spot, because nectar-bearing plants around the field attract many species. At night, the lack of light pollution at this altitude makes it an ideal place for stargazing and amateur astronomy. It is one of the best spots in Shanping for experiencing nature at first hand.

In-the-field environmental education means taking nature itself as your textbook, presenting it to students in all its complexity, so that they can better understand the sciences they have learned and the relationship between man and his environment. Shanping has an abundance of natural life, and has been the site of many experiments over the years, and these features have formed the ecological education zone. It has become a prime stage for bringing environmental education and Taiwanese native wildlife to the public: both the cornucopia of old growth forests, and the results of careful human experimentation and research. In-the-field environmental education brings people out among the lush green of the trees and the mossy fragrance of the soil, to gain real appreciation and knowledge through direct experience.

Shanping has always been an important site for forestry experiments, with many small plantations. In 1951, a China fir experimental plantation was started. China fir is grown all over southern China, and is seen as one of the most important forestry trees. It is fast-growing, and its wood has many uses. The plantation was sided at Shanping so that experts could monitor its progress. The plantation has now been growing for over forty years. It is located on both sides of the plank road from the back of the hydroelectric station to Lovers' Bridge.

The plantation has been left untouched for the purposes of long term observation, without active cultivation by foresters to improve the quality of the forest. Today we can see that there has been significant dieback in the plantation, and growth has stopped. There is dense branching and forking, so the timber from these trees would be of low quality. If a person is to fulfill her potential, she needs education; similarly, a fores needs cultivation to grow well. The failure of the plantation shows the importance of forest management.

Shanping has always been a center for birdwatching. A huge variety of birds can be seen in Shanping: 134 species from 31 genera and 12 families. They represent a major cross-section of Taiwan's bird life. A hide has been built so that “twitchers” can get as close as possible to birds in their natural state without disturbing them. Many rare species can be seen quite frequently in Shanping: maroon orioles, large cuckoo-shrikes, blue-winged pittas, lesser cuckoos, little forktails, Japanese paradise-flycatchers, Taiwan tits, plain flowerpeckers, orange parrotbills, etc., etc. Shanping is even home to some vulnerable species: Swinhoe's pheasants, European magpies, forest eagle-owls. Visitors to Shanping will find they are surrounded by birds and birdsong, with wings fluttering in every corner of the forest. We only ask that visitors take care not to disturb the birds, so that they continue to visit and nest in Shanping for others to enjoy.

There are four weather monitoring stations at Shanping, responsible for long term data gathering. This meteorological data can be combined with hydrological records and forest growth records. Data collection used to be a time-consuming business, but with modern sensors and computers, 24-hour records can be compiled automatically. These records can then be accessed by computer for research into how weather, ground water and forests interact.

Four water monitoring stations were set up in 1964 to check water levels and water quality. The information gathered can be matched with weather data and used to check flows of water and nutrient recycling during forestry experiments. With this full array of research instruments, Shanping is the most important natural hardwood forest and environment monitoring station in tropical southern Taiwan.

Wood is an organic, natural material. It can maintain temperature and absorb UV rays; it can act as a fire retardant, vibration damper; it can soundproof. Wood has a natural grain and fine coloration, making it a beautiful building material. For a natural feel, it is the best material for decoration. At Shanping there are three wooden buildings, each with a unique style:

1. Building A was built in 1990. It is in a classic Chinese style, made out of Formosan cypress.
2. Building B was built in 1993. It is an American log cabin, built using Taiwania and timber imported from North America.
3. Wu-Mu cabin, built in 1914. This Japanese style cabin is made of cypress timber. Because of its great historical importance, it is now a listed building.

In 1953, station director Cheng Tsung-yuan used timber from trees blown down in high winds to construct a hexagonal hall that would represent Liouguei. It was named Tsu Ching Hall, after Hsu Ching-chong, first agriculture director of the Taiwanese provincial government. In 1994, it was restored and became the Shanping service center, with a multimedia field guide to all of the natural and historical resources that Shanping has to offer, and a center for educational activities.

Embankments are transverse structures across the path of a stream, which prevent excessive erosion. They form part of the project to protect Shanping's water table and its surface soil. The use of embankments serves four purposes:

1. Breaking up the downward flow of the water to reduce its erosion of the stream bed, preventing material from being carried downstream.
2. Strengthening the shape of the streambed, preventing the sides from being washed flatter or wider.
3. Capturing sand and sediment, to reduce the wear and tear on any equipment downstream.
4. Protecting vegetative cover of streams when it is only just established.

Shanping is part of the drainage basin for the Sanho River. Because of its climate and the geography of the area, there is large seasonal variation in the flow of water through the area over the year. In the rainy season, rivers quickly form, coursing downwards. Sometimes waterfalls and rapids can form. Where the forest is well-established, the water is clear. This provides a habitat for all kinds of plants and animals, and makes Shanping an ideal site for environmental education.