Yang Nan-chun (楊南郡), an expert on the nation’s mountains and hiking trails, passed away on Saturday morning.Yang died of cancer aged 86 at National Taiwan University Hospital.
The Council of Agriculture said it would issue Yang, a famous mountain climber and researcher into ancient trails, a post-humous honorary title to recognize his contributions to the study of Taiwan’s mountains and forests.
Yang is considered a legend in the world of mountain climbing due to his unique passion for Taiwan’s ancient trails.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry Bureau
On June 6 and 7 — in the midst of his battle with cancer — Yang joined Forestry Bureau officials to revisit ancient trails that he surveyed with his wife 38 years earlier. Yang’s research of these trails is captured in videos, photographs and a text he composed titled The Natural Stronghold of the Path Over Hehuan Mountain Taken During the Taroko War.
Bureau officials recalled Yang’s abundant energy and his stories about the war with the Japanese in the mountain pass.
Yang and his wife, Hsu Ju-lin (徐如林), met while she was a chemistry student at National Taiwan University due to their shared interest in mountain climbing.
Hsu had initially written to the more senior Yang for advice while she was preparing to go on a solo expedition to Nanhu Mountain (南湖山).
Yang — who had moved to a new address — did not receive the letters, causing Hsu to think he was not interested in speaking with her. The issue was cleared up when they later met on a trail in Bijia Mountain (筆架山) in New Taipei City’s Shiding District (石碇). They fell in love shortly afterward.
Yang and Hsu were inseparable in their research of mountain trails, with Yang once remarking that conducting surveys with Hsu was “the happiest thing he could do.”
Yang said that while he was driven by emotion, Hsu was always the practical one.
Friends said Yang’s greatest contribution to trail research came from his translations of materials written in Japanese, in which he was well-versed.
Hsu would take Yang’s findings and turn them into vivid academic reports, preserving accounts of culturally historic events that occurred on these trails.
In 2014 Yang was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, which later spread to his lymph nodes. He underwent several bouts of treatment until he was eventually transferred to the Hospice Foundation of Taiwan two weeks ago.
Well-known nature writer Liu Ka-shiang (劉克襄), who was a friend of Yang’s for almost 30 years, fondly recalled his times with Yang, saying his presence was “like that of a large mountain” and that his contributions elevated research into Taiwan’s mountains and trails to new heights.
While visiting Yang in the hospital a week ago, Liu asked him what message he would like to leave behind.
Yang wrote on a pad of paper: “The beauty of Taiwan’s mountains, valleys, flora and fauna have been overlooked for too long. These things and the beauty of Taiwan’s culture have been well documented by our mountaineering friends. With urgency and necessity they should be promoted and shared.”
In recent years the Forestry Bureau and Council of Agriculture commissioned Yang and Hsu to publish their findings. So far the couple’s research documenting the Nenggao National Trail (能高越嶺道), the Jinshueiying Ancient Trail (浸水營古道) and the Hehuan National Trail (合歡越嶺道) have been published, and there are plans to publish their research on the Syakaro National Trail (霞喀羅古道) and the Tsou people’s trail in Chiayi County’s Alishan (阿里山).
Hsu has vowed to continue compiling the couple’s research into book form with the aims of having it published.
According to his request that he be made “one with the land,” Yang will be buried at the foot of a tree in Taipei’s Muzha area (木柵).
Yang’s family has tentatively set a time of 2pm on Sept. 18 for the funeral procession, which is to be held at Chinan Church on Taipei’s Zhongshan S Road.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
RSS