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Mount Baxian Forest Recreation Area is located in Heping District, Taichung City. Its main peak stands 2,366 m above sea level—about 8,000 Taiwanese “feet”—hence the name “Baxian” (“Eight Immortals”). The forest is lush, the climate cool and pleasant, and the converging Jiabao and Shiwen streams flow through the area. Both rivers rise deep in the forest, their water crystal-clear; boulders of every size litter the streambeds, and the sound of running water is everywhere. Rich in natural ecological resources and once one of Taiwan’s three great logging sites, the area retains a strong forestry heritage, making it the perfect weekend escape into nature. The recreation area lies between 700 and 2,938 m above sea level and includes Mount Baxian and Mount Malun. The park itself sits on the alluvial terrace (Jiabao Terrace) where Jiabao Creek joins Shiwen Creek; both streams carry abundant, pristine water. The Shiwen valley is grand and scenic, its bed studded with jagged white and gray-green boulders arranged in wild patterns. Walking here, worldly cares fall away. Sapphire water surges around the giant rocks in white spray, while emerald forest closes in on both banks, creating a feeling of pure seclusion. The dominant plants are Pinus taiwanensis, P. morrisonicola, Calocedrus formosana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, and members of the Fagaceae family. Two-needle pine colonizes landslides and old, sun-facing cut-blocks; rich in resin, it burns easily. Five-needle pine grows mostly on ridges; the veteran trees on Baxian show the species has long inhabited the Shiwen watershed. Landslides are first claimed by Trema orientalis and other pioneers, while in the misty air large boulders become carpets for ferns—Davallia mariesii, Humata griffithiana, Pseudodrynaria coronans, Pyrrosia serpens, P. lingua, and P. polydactyla are the commonest. Once these pioneers have “opened the frontier,” Lauraceae, Machilus, and Fagaceae move in to form secondary forest, soon followed by lianas—Berchemia racemosa, Mucuna macrocarpa, and Calamus quinquesetinervius—climbing the young trees. With plants providing food and shelter, insects arrive, bringing insect- and fruit-eating birds: mixed flocks of Green-backed Tit, Rufous-bellied Tit, Grey-chinned Minivet, Hair-crested Drongo, Maroon Oriole, Rufous-capped Babbler, Green-backed Flycatcher, and Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. Winter visitors from higher altitudes add endemics, turning the valley into one of central Taiwan’s premier bird-watching sites. Geologically the area is weak sandstone, slate, and hard rock. Shiwen Creek’s cutting action has left precipitous terrain little disturbed, keeping the water exceptionally clean and the ecology rich. Each autumn Swamp Tree-frogs born in the forest floor gather in Shiwen for a mass wedding; after tadpoles mature they trek back into the woods. Along the stream you may see River Kingfisher, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Brown Dipper, Striated Heron and Little Forktail—almost every resident torrent specialist is present. Baxian’s exploitation began with its cloud-draped cypress forests. In 1911 the Japanese, noting its height of nearly 8,000 Japanese shaku (7,998 shaku ≈ 2,410 m), first called it “Hassen-zan” (“Eight-Thousand Mountain”), later refined to the more elegant “Hassen-san” (“Eight-Immortals Mountain”). Systematic logging began in 1914 when the Governor-General’s Bureau of Productive Industries ordered the Alishan office to survey the area, targeting cypress, Taiwan cedar, and hemlock across 14,600 ha that included Baxian and Pachajen Mountain. The next year the Civilian Forestry Bureau was created, removing Baxian from Alishan’s control. A forest railway was laid from Fengyuan into the mountains. At the peak, hundreds of loggers lived here; Jiabao Terrace boasted a school, guesthouse, offices, even a Shinto shrine—virtually a small town. After retrocession the site became Baxian Forest Farm, continuing operations until the nationwide logging ban of the 1980s, after which it was reborn as a recreation area. The primary school and shrine have vanished in earthquakes and time; the forest railway has been swallowed by landslides and neglect, surviving only in local memory. Ecological succession continues unceasing. Every year typhoons and earthquakes—Taiwan’s inevitable cycle—reshape the land, driving the island’s famed biodiversity. Spend time in Mount Baxian Forest Recreation Area and you will witness this endless renewal: nature’s deepest gift to the people of Taiwan. (Adapted from the official website of Mount Baxian Forest Recreation Area)