Visitors should to keep Sanmin Bat Cave (三民蝙蝠洞) clean, the Taoyuan Department of Tourism said, after completing renovations to repair damage caused by visitors.
The park, located in Fusing District (復興) in mountainous eastern Taoyuan, is made up of cavernous rock formations and was once home to a large population of bats.
The bats have long since left the caverns, but the site is still a major attraction because of its natural beauty.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
Prior to the renovations, visitors often left trash along the trails and would ignore signs asking them not to barbecue in the park, the department said.
In September last year, the department decided to restore the park, spending NT$12.95 million (US$420,154) to repair its trails and rebuild a lookout and other park facilities.
The work was completed at the beginning of the month, and the park is to formally reopen after 228 Peace Memorial Day on Thursday.
The cave is 20m high, 50m wide and 20m deep, and there are two waterfalls at its entrance.
The way the thin waterfalls frame the entrance gives them the appearance of curtains, which adds to the site’s alluring beauty, Taoyuan Department of Tourism director Yang Sheng-ping (楊勝評) said.
It is now a low-rainfall season, but the waterfalls would flow again when spring starts, Yang said.
The cave is remote and hidden, making it the perfect refuge for hibernating bats — of which there used to be up to 10,000 at one time, Yang said.
“Unfortunately, once this bat sanctuary was discovered, people started hunting them, and as more visitors started pouring in, the bats slowly relocated,” he said.
Traces of the bats can be seen in the cave’s soil, which is colored red from their droppings, Yang said.
The walkway that leads up to the cave is 610m and takes 20 minutes to traverse, and since the renovations, the entire walkway has been paved, Yang said.
“The walkway is between mountains that block the sun out. This makes the air cool and the atmosphere tranquil,” he said, adding that a lookout platform and some seats have been placed along the path.
The parking lot, bus stop and visitor facilities at the entrance were also rennovated, he said.
“We plan to one day have guides at the site to explain the history of the cave and rock formations to visitors, so they can truly appreciate this natural wonder,” he said.
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