Summer nights on Mount Hehuan can be described as "lively"! Mount Hehuan and Wuling are located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, with winding roads and sparse human activity at night. However, after receiving certification as an International Dark Sky Park, it has become one of the hottest destinations for night excursions. Many tourists rush up the mountain at night to admire the vast expanse of the Milky Way, hailed as a must-visit beautiful place in one's lifetime.
Mount Hehuan has been certified by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) as Taiwan's first and Asia's third "International Dark Sky Park." Its core area starts from the 22.1-kilometer mark on Provincial Highway 14A and extends to the 37.1-kilometer mark. Along the road, an area extending 500 meters to the left and right must meet appropriate management standards for nighttime lighting within the visible range to ensure the quality of stargazing. There are also special protections in place for nature, science, education, and cultural heritage.
Mount Hehuan Dark Sky Park has five major stargazing spots, namely, Yuanfeng, Kunyang, Wuling, Songxuelou, and Xiaofengkou. Among them, the stargazing conditions at the Kunyang parking lot are the best, surrounded by the mountains of Mount Hehuan and the peaks of Qilai, making it the most suitable for stargazing. Lee Tsung-hsiu excitedly described the summer sky as a "sea of stars," with countless stars, the Milky Way, constellations, and occasional shooting stars crossing the sky, creating a breathtaking scene that makes one forget to breathe!
