The Southern Region of Yushan National Park is located within Taoyuan District,Kaohsiung City. This area was historically the traditional territory of the Bunun people,particularly the Jun subgroup. As Bunun communities gradually relocated to areas near the current Southern Cross-Island Highway over the past century, the locations of their former dwellings and the contexts surrounding these migrations have gradually faded from memory. In recent years, with the revival of Indigenous cultures and the resurgence
of ancestral veneration, the national park authority—guided by its respect for Indigenous traditions—has sought to partner with local communities in conducting joint research on local natural and cultural resources. These efforts aim to provide a foundation for
future community development and natural resource management. This project began following the awarding of the contract on November 7, 2023, and continued until the submission of the final report in mid-May 2025. The research team collaborated with
the “Association for the Autonomy of Traditional Cultural and Natural Resources in the Southern Cross-Island Region of Taoyuan District, Kaohsiung City,” a legally registered community organization formed by residents of Lafulan, Meishan, and Fuxing villages
within and near the park's jurisdiction. Through in-depth interviews using semi-structured questionnaires, the team collected ancestral migration narratives from 16 Bunun individuals representing 11 Ayubun (subgroups), namely: Isnankuan (Lu), Takistalan (Yen), Takistaulan (Yen), Takiludun (Kao), Takislavalian (Chiang), Isbabanal (Tu), Takisdahuan (Wu), Ismahasan (Chen), Suqluman (Tseng), Takisciangan (Hsieh), and Takiscibanan (Lin).The project also organized ancestral reconnection activities for the Takiludun (Kao) and Takisdahuan (Wu) subgroups at their former settlements within and around the park. Furthermore, investigations into old Bunun
house sites and relics along the historical Guanshan Trail from the Japanese colonial period have been completed. A total of 12 sites representing six subgroups were surveyed: Tun’ainunu at the confluence of Laonong Creek (Takistalan, Yen),
Tanivudaingaz lower area (Takistalan, Yen), Tamahu in the Yusui settlement (Takistalan, Yen), Talinas site (Takiludun, Kao), confluence of Lakuin Creek (clan unidentified), Sulaiiaz at Liguan (Takiludun, Kao), Uanalun below Laonong Mountain (Takiludun, Kao), Mamayuton Trail Maintenance Station (Isbabanal, Tu), Huala (Takisdahuan, Wu), Sulaiiaz at lower Laonong Creek in Liguan (Takiludun, Kao),
Madumuduman (Takisnabuan, Hsieh), and an old site at Rabasaba Creek (Takiscibanan, Lin).Among these, ten sites are located within the national park. A total of 46 structures, including dwellings and agricultural facilities, were recorded and measured. All data was mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to illustrate the distribution of old settlements. Regarding species monitoring within the park, infrared-triggered camera traps operated from May 2021 through March 2025 yielded 159,048 working hours across 6,627 field days, producing 196,135 photographic records. A total of 54 species were documented, including 20 mammals and 34 birds. In the northern monitoring zone, centered around Mamayuton Mountain, 44 species were identified (19 mammals and 25 birds). In the southern zone, spanning Ufdong to Tiebenzhan, 46 species were recorded, including 20 mammals (such as domestic dogs) and 25 birds. Since the beginning of the monitoring in 2021, the cumulative records from both zones total 76 species, comprising 22 mammals, 53 birds, and 2 reptiles. Among the mammals, the most frequently observed species was the Formosan Reeve’s muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), followed by the Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis). As for avian species, Swinhoe’s pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) was the most prevalent, followed by the Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela).