Hehuan Traversing

Kunyang Rest Stop
從合歡山南峰登山口望昆陽休息站,上方墨綠色山頭為合歡東峰,左側草綠色山頭為合歡主峰,兩峰中間的鞍部為佐久間鞍部(今武嶺)。

The Kunyang Rest Stop is located between Wuling and Yuanfeng, around 30.7K of the Taiwan Provincial Highway 14 of Zhongheng Wushe branch line, and 3,090 meters above sea level. It was where the Hehuanshan Police Post was located during the Japanese occupation.

 

Xibao
西寶國小旁的西寶聚落一景。

Xibao is located 161 kilometers away from the Zhongheng Highway. It is a large river terrace. Anthropologists have discovered pottery and stone spinning wheels on the Xibao terrace, which may have been left by humans in the late Neolithic period. About 250 to 300 years ago, after the Truku people settled in the Liwu River valley, they established the Xibao community here. After the Japanese implemented the Lifan policy in 1915, they were forced to move away. After World War II, some returned to the tribe. When the Zhongheng highway began to be excavated, vegetables and fruits were grown on the terraces of Xibao River due to the inconvenient transportation of vegetables in mountainous areas, and Xibao Farm was established. After the highway was opened, the Retirement Association arranged for the veterans to settle here. There is Xibao Elementary School on the terrace. It was originally a school for the children of the Xibao Farm workers, and later it was changed to Forest Primary School. It is the only forest primary school in the country and the only primary school inside the national park.

 

Walking Trail on the Main Peak of Hehuan Mountain
日治時期,日本政府為討伐太魯閣族人,曾先後組成探險隊進行五次的地形探勘,當時的台灣總督佐久間左馬太曾於大正元年(1912)9月底,隨合歡山探險隊登上合歡主峰山頂,親自觀測周圍的地形環境。現在在合歡山主峰山腰,公路的上方,隱約可見一條與公路平行的小路,這就是太魯閣戰役時日軍所開出的軍用道路,路跡仍清晰,可走上一小段,體會一下日軍當年的討伐之路。

The main peak of Hehuan Mountain is 3,417 meters above sea level, which is the watershed between Liwu River and Zhuoshui River. The mountaineering entry is located at 30.8 km from Taiwan Provincial Highway 14. Since a radar station was built on the Hehuan Main Peak in the early years, the Hehuan Main Peak Trail is actually a road for military vehicles. After the troops withdrew in 2000, the National Park  reorganized this area and transformed old foundations (other than telecommunication base station) into a viewing platform. From the top of the mountain you can see Hehuan Peak, Qilai Peak, Nenggao Mountain, Nanhu Mountain, Central Sharp Mountain, and Yushan Mountain at a glance.

Qingjing Farm
從立鷹山頂往南空拍清境農場、博愛新村一帶。

Qingjing Farm was established in 1961 and is owned by the Advisory Committee of Retired Officers and Soldiers of the Executive Yuan. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the pasture of the Atayal Wushe group. During the Japanese colonial period, it was changed to a public ranch. After the war, it was taken over by the Nantou County Government and became a Wushe pasture directly managed by the county government, covering an area of ​​280 hectares. In 1960, the Nantou County Government transferred it to the Retirement Association and named it "Jianqing Farm". In the autumn of 1961, the Forestry Bureau transferred the adjacent state-owned 36 forests to the Retirement Association for management. In 1967, it was renamed "Qingjing Farm", which has a meaning of a fairyland with clean fresh air.

The Tomb of Mona Rudo
莫那魯道之墓

On October 27, the 5th year of the Showa era (1930), the Japanese held a sports event here. The staff of the Camphor company, the Japanese police officers and officials who were stationed in the headquarters of Nengao County and neighboring areas gathered here. The garrisons were weak in manpower and were easy to attack and rob weapons and ammunition from. Therefore, the six Sediq tribes chose to revolt on this day, but they were outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. It is known as the "Wushe Incident" in history. After the incident, Mona Rudo, the leader of the Seediq tribe, shot himself in the dense forest above the cliff above the Mahepo Grottoes. It was not until Showa 8 (1933) that his body was discovered by two hunters from the Sakura community. Nenggao County Police in Nantou Office bound Mona Rudo’s remains with iron wires and put them on public display at the Wude Hall in Puli. Afterward, they were sent to the anatomy room of the Governor’s School of Medicine to be made into bone specimens and then sent to the Department of Anthropology at Taipei Imperial University for classroom research. In 1973, Gao Guang-hua, then mayor of Ren'ai Township (the posthumous son of Jiro Hanaoka who committed suicide in the Wushe incident), and representatives of the clan brought Mona Rudo's remains from the Specimen Exhibition Hall of the Department of Archeology and Anthropology, National Taiwan University, back to Wushe for burial.

Mona Rudo Memorial Park
莫那魯道紀念公園

On October 27, the 5th year of the Showa era (1930), the Japanese held a sports event here. The staff of the Camphor company, the Japanese police officers and officials who were stationed in the headquarters of Nengao County and neighboring areas gathered here. The garrisons were weak in manpower and were easy to attack and rob weapons and ammunition from. Therefore, the six Sediq tribes chose to revolt on this day, but they were outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. It is known as the "Wushe Incident" in history. After the incident, Mona Rudo, the leader of the Seediq tribe, shot himself in the dense forest above the cliff above the Mahepo Grottoes. It was not until Showa 8 (1933) that his body was discovered by two hunters from the Sakura community. Nenggao County Police in Nantou Office bound Mona Rudo’s remains with iron wires and put them on public display at the Wude Hall in Puli. Afterward, they were sent to the anatomy room of the Governor’s School of Medicine to be made into bone specimens and then sent to the Department of Anthropology at Taipei Imperial University for classroom research. In 1973, Gao Guang-hua, then mayor of Ren'ai Township (the posthumous son of Jiro Hanaoka who committed suicide in the Wushe incident), and representatives of the clan brought Mona Rudo's remains from the Specimen Exhibition Hall of the Department of Archeology and Anthropology, National Taiwan University, back to Wushe for burial.

Second Office of Taipower Wanda Power Station
台電萬大發電廠第二辦公室

The second office of the Wanda Power Station of the Taiwan Power Company was originally the Wushe Public School during the Japanese Occupation and the site of the Wushe incident. In the 5th year of Taisho (1916), Japanese people set up Wushe Public School in Wushe area to provide education and placement for Japanese children in Wushe area. On October 27, the 5th year of the Showa era (1930), the Japanese held a sports event here. The staff of the Camphor companyand, the Japanese police officers and officials who were stationed in the headquarters of Nengao County and neighboring areas gathered here. The garrisons were weak in manpower, and was easy to attack and rob weapons and ammunition. Therefore, the six Sediq tribes chose to revolt on this day. After the incident, the Japanese police piled the 138 dead bodies on the playground of the Wushe Public School, and ordered the police to cut firewood and cremate the bodies. It took three days and three nights to complete the cremation.

Wugang Shrine
)霧ケ岡社入口的鳥居,霧ケ岡社戰後被拆除,入口的鳥居上方短柱也是戰後被加上去的。

The Wugang Shrine ruins is located in Jiesho Lane next to the Wushe fire station. Enter the alley and walk for about one or two minutes you will see a red torii gate and stone steps leading to Delong Temple. This torii is the remains of Wugang Shrine. On both sides of the stone-steps there is an abandoned stone lantern, also left from Wugang Shrine. The opening of Wugang Shrine was on December 16, Showa 7 (1932), and the ritual day is October 28th each year. After the war, the shrine was changed to offer sacrifices to Kaitai Shengwang and Fude Zhengshen. In 1958, the government promoted Confucian education and renamed it "Confucius Temple". In 1960, it was renamed "Delong Temple". From the square in front of Delong Temple, you can overlook Wushe Street and Wanda Reservoir. 

Monument of the deceased Inspector in Charge Daigoro of Karenko (now Hualien County)
故花蓮港廳巡査班長持館代五郎之碑

The Monument of the deceased Inspector in Charge Daigoro of Karenko (now Hualien County), is located at the foot of the Zhuilu section of the Hehuan Traversing Historic Trail, about 50 meters away from the Duan-ya Police Post.

The monument was set up in memory of Inspector in Charge Daigoro of Donglu Checkpoint (later the checkpoint became Duan’ya police post), who was attacked and killed by indigenous people in 1916 while on duty. The monument was originally erected on a wooden pillar but was later converted into a cement tombstone in 1935. As the condition of the road that leads to the police post and the monument is poor, the monument is not open now.

Duan-ya Police Post
斷崖駐在所

The Duan-ya Police Post at the Zhuilu section of the Hehuan Traversing Historic Trail is located on the west side of the Zhuilu Cliff, just where it begins to enter the forest. It was first the Donglu Branch Office. Later in 1922, it was changed to Duan-ya Police Post and was finally abolished in 1934.

Today, hikers who come here will rest on the concrete foundation platform that remained from the police post before turning back.