After eight years of planning and preparation, the Shoushan National Natural Park headquarters held its plaque unveiling ceremony on Thursday (Nov. 28), turning a new page in the government’s effort to preserve hills and rural areas abundant with rich natural resources.
The Shoushan National Natural Park’s headquarters will be dedicated to providing better recreational services while promoting environmental protection, said Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) at the ceremony in Kaohsiung. It has replaced the planning office that was established in 2011 at the same site and will take charge of two metropolitan parks, with the other being in Taichung, he added.
The establishment of a national natural park represents the government’s emphasis on the preservation of foothills, hills, and rural areas, said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). She pledged to allocate more resources and work with the private sector to promote sustainable development and protect biological diversity.
The Shoushan National Natural Park is the first of its kind. Different from national parks, which often encompasse vast mountains or islands, national natural parks are smaller, relatively close to urban areas, and possesses abundant natural resources.
The 1,100-hectare national natural park includes hills — Shoushan, Qihoushan, Banpingshan and Gueishan — as well as historic sites, such as the Old City of Fongshan County and the former British Consulate at Takao. It should serve as a sanctuary for wildlife and a place for citizens to get close to nature, according to the ministry.
Source：Taiwan News
