A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change.
On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County.
More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m, had a snow accumulation period of about two months every winter, with terrain perfectly suited for skiing, the council said.
Photo: Screen grab from the National Development Council’s Facebook
The government established the Wuling Winter Training Base (武嶺寒訓基地) on Hehuanshan, to train armed forces in skiing and survival skills, it said, adding that the decision laid the foundation for the winter tourism industry.
In 1963, with the support of the Forestry Bureau, the Chinese Taipei Ski Association was founded to promote snow activities, and Hehuanshan became a popular destination for the China Youth Corps’ winter camps, with skiing and snow-viewing camps bringing crowds to the cold mountain areas, the council said.
At the time, a 400m gondola lift was available between Hehuanshan’s East Peak (東峰) and Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), and a ski training center was built beside the lodge to train Taiwan’s athletes for international competitions, it said.
Today, many Taiwanese still remember having enjoyed their skiing vacation at Hehuanshan or the China Youth Corps’ camps to learn skiing, it said.
However, due to climate change, snow accumulation and the snow accumulation period on Hehuanshan have been reduced, and with international travel becoming more convenient, Taiwan’s first ski resort has gradually phased out and disappeared, the council said.
A person commented on the council’s post saying that traces of the abandoned gondola lift can still be seen in the Hehuanshan mountain areas, which serves as a reminder of the former glorious days of Taiwan’s ski resort.
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never
RSS