Kenting National Park

Kenting National Park (Chinese: 墾丁國家公園; pinyin: Kěndīng Gúojiā Gōngyuán), also known as just Kenting (Chinese: 墾丁; pinyin: Kěndīng), is a national park in Pingtung County, Taiwan. It was created on 1 January 1984. It is Taiwan's oldest and southernmost national park. It is also Taiwan's most popular national park. Five million people went to Kenting in 2016. History The meaning of "Kenting" is pathfinders or pioneers. The park was the home of many Aboriginal cultures. Seventeen prehistoric sites have been found in the park. Most sites are over 4000 years old. The Puyama tribe, which is the main tribe in the area, the Ami tribe, and the Siraiya Makatau tribe lived in the area. The Eluanbi Lighthouse was built near the tip of Taiwan in the late 1800s. This was because there were many shipwrecks near the area, including the American Rover incident. The lighthouse took twenty years to build. Aboriginal tribes had also attacked the lighthouse because they did not want it on their land. Because of that, the Chinese military had to guard the area. The lighthouse is the only armed lighthouse in Taiwan. During World War II, while under Japanese rule, there were many bombings on the lighthouse during the Aerial Battle of Taiwan-Okinawa. The lighthouse was soon rebuilt. Kenting National Park was created in 1984 by Chiang Ching-kuo. The area had damage from farming and building, so it was created to protect the land. In 2001, a Greek ship, the Amorgos, lost power while sailing to China close to the park. In 2010, the hull of the ship split. It spilt 1100 tonnes of oil which collected around the park's shoreline. It caused major damage to the sea and wildlife. Almost 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) of the shore was affected by the spill. It affected 200 bird species and 2200 plant species in the park. It killed many crabs, fish, and clams. Geography Kenting is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Taiwan Strait in the west and the Bashi Channel in the south. The park covers almost 333 square kilometres (129 square miles). It has 181 square kilometres (70 square miles) of land and 152 square kilometres (59 square miles) of sea. The park is in an area with a lot of tectonic activity. Biodiversity The park has many species of plants and animals. It has 15 species of mammals, 310 species of birds, 59 species of reptiles and amphibians, 21 species of fish, 216 species of butterflies, and many species of insects. A lot of whales used to spend the winter in the sea around the park. During the Japanese rule, whaling caused disappearances of the whales. There aren't any whales in the area now. During the fall and the winter, a lot of migrating birds fly to the park to rest and feed. Almost 235 of the species of birds come to the park during this time. Climate The park has a tropical climate. It has warm and hot weather for the whole year. The temperature in January is 21 °C (70 °F). In July it can get to 38 °C (100 °F). Rainfall is spread out over the whole year. Attractions Many people come to Kenting to do snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming, and hiking. There are also many nature parks, museums, and beaches in the area. They include the Sheding Nature Park, Eluanbi Lighthouse, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, and the Jialeshui Beach. References Other websites Official website Archived 2018-09-16 at the Wayback Machine Official website Archived 2008-12-10 at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese)