Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area, National Forest Recreation Area in Shihzih, Taiwan
Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area is a protected woodland in Shihzih, in southern Taiwan, covered largely by tropical rainforest that rises from lower ground toward mid-elevation slopes. Several marked trails run through the area and lead to a waterfall that drops through thick tree cover into a rocky pool below.
The land around Shuangliu was home to the Paiwan people long before the area came under any formal administration, and the forest provided them with food, materials, and a way of organizing their world. It was later designated as a protected recreation area to keep the rainforest intact for future generations.
The forest sits within the traditional territory of the Paiwan people, an indigenous group with deep roots in this part of southern Taiwan. Local guides sometimes lead walks where they explain how the Paiwan have long read the forest, its plants, and its animals as part of daily life.
The nearest train station is Fangliao, from where a bus covers most of the remaining distance before a short walk to the main entrance. Trail conditions can be wet and slippery year-round, so sturdy footwear with a good grip is worth wearing from the start.
Although the forest is classified as tropical rainforest, the terrain shifts quickly between very different vegetation zones within a short distance along the trails. This means a single walk can take you through several distinct forest types in the space of less than an hour.
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