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National parks of Taiwan are protected spaces for their nature, wildlife, and history in its current jurisdiction. Currently there are nine national parks in Taiwan, all are under the administration of the Ministry of the Interior. These national parks covers 7,489.49 square kilometres (2,891.71 sq mi). The 3,103.76-square-kilometre (1,198.37 sq mi) total land area constitutes around 8.6% of the entire land area of the country.
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Map of Taiwan
The first national parks were established in 1937, when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. After World War II, the voice for protecting the natural environment was suspended due to the autocratic rule and the Martial law in Taiwan. The National Park Law was passed in 1972 and finally the first new national parks are reestablished in 1984.
National parks should not be confused with a national scenic areas. The national scenic areas are administrated by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. There are also different philosophies that govern the development of the two types of areas. For a national park, the emphasis is on the preservation of natural and cultural resources, and development for human utilization is definitely a secondary priority.
Past Japanese national parks in Taiwan
In 1937, the Governor-General Seizō Kobayashi designated three national parks:
The administration of these National Parks was no longer in force when Japan withdrew from Taiwan in 1945 after World War II.
Proposed national parks
Three other national parks were proposed but the plans of formation were halted due to opposition: