Applications for one-day hiking trips to Taiwan

台灣的第2高山一日健行的申請多了3倍

More than 2000 people applied to hike Taiwan's Xue mountain over 6 month period, numbers expected to continue growing


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of applications for one-day hiking trips to mountains in Shei-Pa National Park has increased exponentially from January to June this year compared to the same period in 2019.

A total of 2,033 people have applied for one-day hiking trips to the main peak of Xue Mountain over a six-month period in 2020, which is nearly four times the number during the same period last year, which stood at 546, the Liberty Times reported on Thursday (July 16), citing statistics from the national park headquarters.

The national park headquarters expects numbers to grow, as summer vacation is not over yet. The headquarters attributed the growth of applications for hiking in the national park to the successful mitigation of COVID-19 in Taiwan and the non-availability of foreign travel due to the strict border controls enforced by most countries around the world.

Hiking is a good way to strengthen physical stamina while enjoying magnificent scenery, the headquarters said, adding that many hikers sharing their experience of completing one-day hiking trips across Taiwan on social media have prompted others to follow suit, per the Liberty Times.

The headquarters pointed out that taking a one-day journey to a tall mountain is a daunting challenge to most hikers and urged people to assess their own ability and plan out a feasible timeline for reaching specific checkpoints at certain times; in addition, they are advised to develop a comprehensive retreat plan before embarking on the journey.