Kenting National Park

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Kenting National Park
IUCN category II (national park)

Eluanbi lighthouse in the Kenting National Park
Location of Kenting National Park in Taiwan
Location Taiwan
Nearest city Hengchun, Pingtung
Coordinates 21°58′48″N 120°47′49″E / 21.98°N 120.797°E / 21.98; 120.797Coordinates: 21°58′48″N 120°47′49″E / 21.98°N 120.797°E / 21.98; 120.797
Area 333 square kilometres (129 sq mi)
Established 1984
Governing body Kenting National Park Administration Office
Official website
Kenting National Park
Simplified Chinese 垦丁国家公园
Traditional Chinese 墾丁國家公園

Kenting National Park is a national park located in the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng, and Manzhou Townships. Established on January 1, 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and southernmost national park, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior, this national park is well known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March,[1] and has long been one of the most favorite resort places in Taiwan.

Geography

The park covers about 181 square kilometres (70 sq mi) of land, 152 square kilometres (59 sq mi) of sea, weighing in at 333 square kilometres (129 sq mi) combined. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Taiwan Strait, and the Luzon Strait. The park is 90 kilometres (56 mi) away from Kaohsiung, 140 kilometres (87 mi) away from Tainan.

The landscape boasted by Kenting National Park is divided into two parts by the long and narrow Hengchun Longitudinal Valley Plain that extends from north to south. With coral sea cliffs teemed with fringing reefs along the west coast, the park features a large number of mountains in the north, and coral tablelands and foothills in the south. The plain, which is formed by fault valleys, has a vast lake called Longlyuantan, together with rising coral tablelands and limestone caves to the east. The east side of the coral tablelands features unique sand rivers and sand waterfalls formed by the combined effects of winds and rivers, as well as coral cliffs, sunken caves and stalactites.

Lighthouse

Eluanbi Lighthouse was completed in 1883, following requests from the American and Japanese governments to the Chinese government after several shipwrecks occurred in the 1860s. Chinese troops had to be sent to protect the lighthouse during construction from attacks by local tribesmen, and the lighthouse was surrounded by a fort with cannons and a ditch for protection.[2] It is one of the rare examples in the world of a fortified lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is 21.4 metres (70 ft) high and its light is 56.4 metres (185 ft) above the tidal high water. The light flashes every 10 seconds and its range is 27.2 nautical miles (50.4 km).

Transportation

  • Air: This park is served by the domestic Hengchun Airport although flights are rare and are subject to cancellation due to the strong Katabatic wind which is frequent in the Hengchun Peninsula.

In popular culture

  • Spring Scream: A well-known international rock-band festival held inside this park since 1995
  • Most parts of the movie Cape No. 7 were filmed inside this park, and nearby Hengchun

Pictures

See also

References

  1. ↑ Spring Scream Official Website
  2. ↑ Chanson, H. (2007). Coastal Observations: Erluanbi, Southern Taiwan. Shore & Beach, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 36-39 (ISSN 0037-4237). 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kenting National Park.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kenting_National_Park.
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