Since 1872, The United States of America established the first national park in the world, namely the Yellow Stone National Park. For over a century, there had been a thousand over national parks being established around the world now. These parks spread over the a hundred nations that cover the frigid, temperate and tropical zones. These embrace highly diversified ecology and geographical landscapes that comprise of mountains, oceans, glaciers, volcanoes, forests, marshes, pastures and canyons.

    In 1969, the International Union for Conservation of Nature had promulgated the definition of national park as:

1.The natural protected area must not smaller than 1000 hectares. Within the area there possesses beautiful landscape of unique ecology or unique topography. The area must be of representative nationally and has never been excavated, settled or developed by mankind.

2.This is a conservation area set up for long term preservation of natural countryside, originally grown animals and vegetation, and unique ecosystem.

3.The steps to restrict the development of land for industrial, commercial and settlement purposes would be took by an organization of highest authority in the nation. The organization should prohibit all acts on logging, excavating, building of power generators, agriculture, pasturing and hunting. Meanwhile it is also responsible for effective implementation of the maintenance of the area in terms of ecology and natural landscape.

4.To maintain the current natural condition by only allowing tourists to enter specified area of the park under special circumstances, so as to provide an area for the current and future generations of science, education, leisure and recreation, and knowledge enlightening assets.

    Moreover, the establishment of our national park has taken into consideration the standards and ideology of ecological conservation as set by the IUCN. We manage the park by dividing the park into 5 areas: Common Control Area,

    Recreation area, Historical Site Conservation Area, Unique Landscape Area and Conservation Area.

    Surrounded by oceans and covered by lofty and precipitous peaks from north to south of the island, Taiwan is extremely rich in natural landscape. Currently, there already established six national parks in Taiwan, each possesses their own uniqueness.

(1)Kenting National Park
With its Administration established on 1st January 1984, this is the first national park in our country. Situated in the Peninsular of Hengchun, the park possesses a tropical ecological environment, spectacular oceanic view and resources of the sea bottom in abundance.

(2)Yushan National Park
Established on 10th April 1985, it is a national park with the largest area. It embraces the summit of Northeast Asia, Yushan. This is a mountainous national park.

(3)Yangmingshan National Park
Established on 16th September 1985, it neighbors upon the metropolitan area of Taipei. It is famous for its landscape of volcanic topography.

(4)Taroko National Park
Established on 28th November 1986, this national park is situated in eastern Taiwan. It possesses spectacular landscape of mountains, towering marble cliffs and rapids roaring deep below.

(5)Shei-pa National Park
Established on 1st July 1992, this is the fifth national park in our country. It has precious vestige of the mountainous glaciers.

(6)Kinmen National Park
Established on 18th October 1995, this is the first national park in the country that serves principally on maintaining the historical and cultural asset, and the battle commemoration. Besides, it is also a national park of natural resources conservation.