At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Su Tseng-chang received a National Development Council (NDC) briefing on efforts to promote national greenways. Taiwan's seven national greenways are a testament to the arduous development work of the country's forebears as well as a demonstration of Taiwan's bountiful natural and cultural landscapes, diverse ethnic groups, and cultural and industrial character. These greenways help shape the country's image abroad while enabling citizens to better understand their homeland.
The seven national greenways not only link the island together but also connect the histories of Taiwan's diverse peoples. Every trail has its own unique story. The northernmost, 200-year-old "Tamsui-Kavalan trail," for instance, was Taiwan's most important east-west route in northern Taiwan that allowed early inhabitants to migrate, expand and conduct business. As for the "camphor trail" that crisscrosses Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Taichung, it is Taiwan's longest national greenway and spans the greatest number of ethnic groups: Hakka people entered the mountains from here to collect tree wood and transport camphor and tea leaves, while Saisiyat and Atayal indigenous groups used it as a hunting path. The "mountains-to-sea trail," which stretches from 0 meters to 3,592 meters above sea level, begins at the Taijiang inland sea before rising up to the peak of Yushan, traversing five national scenic areas and national parks while boasting a rich history of 400 years.
In recent years, outdoor sports such as hiking, grand tourism and mountaineering have reached new levels of popularity at home and abroad. The premier instructed government agencies to take advantage of this trend and promote these beautiful and deeply meaningful national greenways to the people of Taiwan. Efforts should also be made to introduce Taiwan internationally so that when the pandemic ends and Taiwan once again opens its doors, it can attract foreign visitors by offering more and better options.
According to the NDC, the seven greenways include the "Tamsui-Kavalan trail," the "camphor trail," the "mountains-to-sea trail," the "centuries-old canal trail," the "sugar industry railway trail," the "indigenous historic trail," and the "mountain ridge trail." Covering the themes of Taiwan's ethnic cultures, water infrastructure, economic industries and nature conservancy, these greenways span natural corridors such as rivers and ridges as well as man-made corridors such as water canals, railways, historic trails, hiking paths and bicycle lanes. The greenway network allows people access to treasured cultural and natural landscapes while demonstrating Taiwan's diverse and rich resources and charms and meeting needs for sightseeing, leisure and recreation.