Shei-Pa National Park () is a national park located in the central part of
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
around the peaks of
Hsueh/Sekuwan and
Dabajian/Papak Waqa, with an area of , covering the area of
Hsinchu County
Hsinchu is a County (Taiwan), county in Regions of Taiwan, north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka people, Hakka; with a Taiwanese aboriginal minority in the southeastern part of the county. Zhubei is the county seat ...
,
Miaoli County
Miaoli is a county (Taiwan), county in western Taiwan. Miaoli is bordered by Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City to the north, Taichung to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. Miaoli is Regions of Taiwan, classified as "central Taiwan" by t ...
and
Taichung City. High mountain ecology, geology, topography, rivers, creek valleys, rare animals and plants, and plentiful variety of forest types are some important resources for conservation.
The park's headquarters was set up on 1 July 1992. The current headquarters director is Lin Ching (林青). The address of Shei-Pa National Park is 100 Xueweiping, Fuxing Village,
Dahu Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Geography, Climate and Geology
Shei-Pa National Park is located some 100 km north of the Tropic of Cancer. The park covers a wide range of ecosystems between 760 meters at the lowest point, the Da-an River Valley (大安溪) and 3,886 meters elevation at the highest point, the top of Xueshan (雪山主峰). Xueshan is the second tallest mountain in Taiwan. The Xueshan Range is located along the northern end of Taiwan's Central Range. Like most of the mountains of Taiwan, the Xueshan Range mountains are an uplifted metamorphic belt that makes up the spine of the country. Notable geologic features of the park include the box fold of
Pintian Mountain as well as many glacial cirques.
The mountains of Shei-Pa cradle the headwaters of several major rivers in Taiwan. The park receives between 1,500 mm and 3,000 mm of rainfall a year and is an important water resource for the country: Takejin Creek flows north to join the
Danshui River, which provides water for Taipei. The
Dajia River and the
Da-an River flow west and north west to provide water to Taichung County. The
Touqian River
The Touqian River () is a river in northern Taiwan. It flows through Hsinchu County
Hsinchu is a County (Taiwan), county in Regions of Taiwan, north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka people, Hakka; with a Taiwanese ...
flows northwest to Hsinchu County.
Asteroid
278956 Shei-Pa was named after the national park.
The official was published by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Funct ...
on 25 September 2018 ().
Climate
Flora
In 2022 a team of researchers measured a
Taiwania specimen in the Park. The tree was growing at an elevation of . The team has worked to photograph and measure the height of many trees in the park, growing up in the mountains. Thus far, they found 941 trees at least tall.
See also
*
List of national parks in Taiwan
References
National parks of Taiwan
Important Bird Areas of Taiwan
Protected areas established in 1992
Geography of Miaoli County
Tourist attractions in Miaoli County
Geography of Taichung
Tourist attractions in Taichung
Geography of Hsinchu County
Tourist attractions in Hsinchu County
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