Hehuanshan
Encyclopedia
Hehuanshan is a 3416 metres (11,207 ft) high mountain in Central Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. The peak lies on the boundaries of Nantou
Nantou County
Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....

 and Hualien counties and is within the Taroko Gorge National Park. Hehuanshan is a popular destination for the local people of central Taiwan. The 3,421-metre East Peak and 3,422-metre North Peak of Hehuanshan are actually both higher than the main peak.

Recreation

Snow, rare in the rest of Taiwan, is relatively common on the mountain during winter months. The Hehuanshan Road leads most of the way up the mountain to Wuling, a saddle between the Main Peak and the East Peak of Hehuanshan. Wuling is the highest point on the island of Taiwan accessible by public roads.

Originally, there was a ski lift on the mountain, but later, due to the inconsistency of snowfall, the lift was removed.

From the Hehuanshan Road, a trail about one kilometer long leads to the summit of the main peak. At the summit, there is a weather station.

Hehuanshan is part of the Central Mountain Range (中央山脈) that makes up the backbone of Taiwan.

History

In the past, a military training area was built in the proximity of Hehuanshan. The mountain range also features the remains of a ski lift, reportedly used by Taiwan's elite during the martial law period and inaccessible to most people. The unreliability of snowfall has meant that the ski lift was abandoned years ago.

Hehuanshan Road

The Hehuanshan Road is currently the only paved road leading across the Central Mountains from Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....

 City to Hualien via the famous Taroko Gorge. The Central Cross-Island Highway
Central Cross-Island Highway
The Central Cross-Island Highway or Provincial Highway No.8 is one of three highway systems that connect the west coast with the east of Taiwan.-Construction:The construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway began on July 7, 1956...

, which originally crossed the mountains north of Hehuanshan, was damaged during the September 21, 1999 Earthquake and had been under repair for five years afterwards. But prior to its re-opening disaster struck again in form of a typhoon and it was decided to keep it closed indefinitely.

The Hehuanshan Road leads up from Puli
Puli
The Puli is a medium-big breed of Hungarian herding and livestock guarding dog known for its long, corded coat. The tight curls of the coat, similar to dreadlocks, make it virtually waterproof. A similar looking, but much larger Hungarian dog breed is called Komondor.- Appearance :The Puli is a...

 in central Nantou past Wushe (Ren-ai) and Chingjing Farm up to Wuling
Wuling
Wuling may refer to the following of dynastic or the People's Republic of China:* Wuling District , Changde, Hunan* Wuling Mountains , mountain range covering an area from western Hunan to eastern Guizhou and Chongqing...

. Wuling, at 3,275 metres above sea level, is the highest automobile pass in Taiwan. The road is narrow and winding throughout, and is considered a dangerous and difficult road by many drivers. This road often becomes clogged in winter, when many locals travel up the mountain to see snow. Recently, after several incidents, buses and large trucks were barred from this stretch of road.
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