Once National Taiwan University's Chitou experimental forestry area at Luku was opened up to the public 16 years ago, its reputation as a place of exceptional scenic beauty quickly spread far and wide.
Now another experimental forestry area is gradually gaining exposure--National Chung Hsing University's Huisun Forest. And because it was opened later and visitors are fewer, Huisun has a quiet, secluded beauty even more pristine than Chitou's.
Strolling amidst Huisun Forest, one's spirits are refreshed by the cool, moist air. Brilliant butterflies tumble about above azaleas encircling massive tree trunks, as a nimble civet darts soundlessly through the trees. A faint mist adds a touch of poetry to it all. Everywhere is quiet, broken only by the sounds of Nature--birdsong, cricket calls, and the sudden "swish" of a macaque monkey swinging overhead.
Huisun Forest is located in Jenai Township, Nantou County, in central Taiwan--about five or six hours by bus from Taipei, with a changeover in Puli. Last stop on the line is Fenglin Shanchuang (or "Maple Grove Mountain Village"), situated 850 meters above sea level, and the starting point for walking tours of the forest.
To enjoy all the sights of the forest, three full days are required; two days and a night are a must to avoid leaving without regrets. Lodging is reasonably priced and may be reserved in advance. Camping equipment for the more adventurous is available as well.
The campground is set half way up the mountain in a grove of cassia bamboo. Peikang Creek runs nearby, and the sound of its gurgling waters adds to the "atmosphere." More pragmatically, the creek also provides prawns, crabs, and groupers for those who like to fish.
"Some people who are good at it can keep full just by cooking what they catch," a forestry worker asserts. For the less skillful, the restaurant at the visitor's center may be preferred.
At present, an average of 300 visitors come to Huisun daily. Because the forest is large and the scenic spots dispersed, people seem scarce. Visitors often go for half an hour without running into another person.
As a result, "People usually feel happy when they see someone coming towards them. The two groups will stop and say hello, exchange tips on what to see, and sometimes go off together. There's a warmth and friendliness among the visitors here that is very different from what you find at most jam-packed 'tourist sites'," one happy visitor exclaims.
Huisun Forest, the largest of Chung Hsing University's four experimental forestry areas, extends over 18,000 acres and covers several mountain tops. Climbing from 450 to 2419 meters above sea level, the forest contains both tropical and temperate-zone trees.
How many species are there? A college forestry instructor who often takes his students there maintains. "If you can identify all the trees here, you know 90 percent of the trees in Taiwan."
More particularly, "Different varieties from different climatic zones have been placed together here as experiments. Sometimes 20 or 30 different species can be found in the same place," explains Lin Shun-chong, director of Huisun Forest. He concludes, "This is the greatest difference between here and Chitou."
The area that, since 1982, has been open to the public is the portion under 1000 meters above sea level, covering about 300 acres. Maple Grove Mountain Village, where the walking tours begin, is near the top of this area.
Taking a three-day itinerary as an example, the new visitor, on the morning he arrives, will want to put away his things, catch his breath, and have lunch before setting off for the sole stop of his first day--Kuantao Stream.
At Huisun, there is no need to worry about getting lost, because the trails are clearly marked with names, distances, and directions. A five-minute walk down the main trail from the mountain village and the visitor sees the sign he is looking for-- "Kuantao Stream, turn right, three kilometers."
Kuantao Stream offers three main attractions: birds, butterflies, and the water.
The chirping of birds in unbroken song accompanies the visitor along the trail. Raising his head, he can see scarlet tanagers and indigo magpies set off against the green leaves and black branches of the forest. To get a closer look, it is a good idea to bring along binoculars.
Butterflies also abound. Huisun Forest is home to 50 or 60 species, and when spring arrives, Kuantao Stream becomes a dazzling valleyful of color.
The stream itself is a fine place to while away the afternoon, catching shrimp or having fun in the water.
The second day's itinerary includes three main stops.
Setting out from Maple Grove Mountain Village again, the visitor walks on past the sign to Kuantao Stream for two or three minutes and comes to T'ankung Pavilion. Signs then direct him along three kilometers of rugged mountain trails through oaks, firs, and pines up to T'ang- kung Pei ("T'ang Memorial Tablet"), located 1200 meters above sea level. The tablet commemorates the late T'ang Huisun, president of Chung Hsing University, who lost his life during an inspection tour of the forest in 1967. The name of the forest was changed to Huisun in his honor.
Returning back to the main trail and continuing on down the mountain for 20 minutes brings the visitor to a tourist service center that serves lunch on weekends and holidays. From here begins the second tour of the day, to Sungfengshan, or "Pine Wind Mountain." The gentle five-degree slope, over a mile long, is covered with soft pine needles. At the top are planted metasequoias, gingkos, Chinese sweet-gum trees, and Chinese maples, whose leaves turn a bright crimson in autumn.
Past Pine Wind Mountain, the visitor crosses Fenglin Grassland and heads down a steep, zigzag path, bordered by black walnut and fragrant camphor trees to Chuwashih ("Giant Frog Rock"), last stop for the day. Formosan rock monkeys, a rare species protected by the government, are active here. Chuwashih itself well deserves its name; the rock looks just like a squatting frog and is as large as a truck.
The third day is devoted to visiting Taiwan's first coffee gardens and saying farewell to the forest before catching the 3:30 p.m. bus back down the mountain.
The coffee gardens are a 40-minute walk below the mountain village. The six- foot-high coffee plants are shaded by acacia trees to protect them from the sun. After the beans are harvested in late fall they are taken to a university factory to be processed.
Walking back to the mountain village from the coffee gardens, the visitor should take his time and savor once again the beauty and serenity of the pines and maples, bamboos and cherries, all the trees, both evergreen and deciduous, of this magnificent forest.
[Picture Caption]
Playing go under tall trees in a gentle breeze with a few friends--what a delight!
This is not target practice. She is measuring the height of a tree.
(Above) A mossy stone wall sets off the brilliant red of fallen maple leaves.
(Below) Wrapped in morning mist, Huisun Forest appears dark and mysterious.
A few stubborn leaves refuse to fall.
This is not target practice. She is measuring the height of a tree.
A few stubborn leaves refuse to fall.
（Above） A mossy stone wall sets off the brilliant red of fallen maple leaves.
（Below） Wrapped in morning mist, Huisun Forest appears dark and mysterious.
Chalky white Chuwashih squats over Peikang Stream like a giant frog.
Wood from Huisun Forest is used to build little "cabins" for mushroom growing.
Maple Grove Mountain Village, seen from Pine Wind Mounta.
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