To mark the Lunar New Year, National Park Administration Director-General Wang Cheng-chi (王成機) announced at least 15 special events held daily across Taiwan’s nine national parks and one national nature park during this year's nine-day holiday from February 14 to 22, excluding New Year’s Eve. The parks welcomed a record 19.7 million people last year, the Interior Ministry said Thursday, highlighting that immersing oneself in nature has become a popular choice among domestic tourists.

Activities will span lectures, markets, concerts, photo exhibitions, cultural performances, and hands-on DIY workshops. Highlights include the 15th WildView Taiwan Film Festival’s special screenings at Shoushan National Nature Park featuring 20 films from Feb 17 (Lunar New Year’s Day) to Feb 22; and a challenge game in Luermen Tianhou Temple in Tainan’s Taijiang National Park on Lunar New Year’s Day, with 700 limited-edition commemorative coins as prizes. 

Interior Ministry Deputy Minister Tung Chien-hung (董建宏) encouraged visits to experience Taiwan’s biodiversity. “Most bees in Taiwan are solitary bees, living alone, which is quite interesting. Our bat research, including that in Shei-Pa National Park, is world-renowned. Taiwan’s ecological diversity is very rich, so we welcome everyone to experience Taiwan’s biodiversity and beauty during the holiday,” he said. 

To avoid traffic jams, Wang recommended public transport, especially shuttle buses to Yangmingshan National Park, where flowers are currently in bloom.