Fushan Botanical Garden is an experimental forest where universities conduct research and members of the public can observe hundreds of Taiwan’s plant species. It is situated in New Taipei’s Wulai District but is only accessible via a winding road that climbs deep into the hills from Yilan. Although free to visit, the number of daily visitors is capped to a few hundred — a policy that’s enforced by having an online application process for anyone wanting to visit.
The garden ostensibly has an English-language website, but once you try to actually use it, you’ll find that the forms are all still in Chinese. However, don’t let that put you off. The process is rather simple.
Step 1
On the Fushan Botanical Garden home page, select the “Online Application” option.
Step 2
Select the date that you plan to visit. Despite what the information on the website claims, applications can be made as early as 30 days in advance and (if the daily visitor quota hasn’t been filled), as late as on the same day of your visit. Visitors are limited to 500 per day on weekdays and 600 per day on weekends, and the number listed below each day tells you how many spots remain.
The park is closed every Tuesday and throughout the whole month of March each year, as well as a few other national holidays.
Step 3
After selecting your date, you’re presented with a wall of text listing all the park regulations, safety protocols and terms of service (an English translation of these can be found here). Scroll all the way to the bottom, check the box to confirm you agree with the information and then hit the button to proceed to the next step.
Step 4
Fill in the information for the group leader.
Step 5
Fill in the information for any other group members (you don’t need to re-enter the team leader’s info). If you need to add any extra spaces, you can do so by hitting the yellow button that says “新增隊員”. Once you’ve added all of your group members, check the box to say that you’ve read the site’s privacy policy, then enter the captcha and submit your application.
Step 6
If you applied on a day where the quota was still unmet, you should receive an email almost straight away saying that your application status is “可入園” meaning that you can enter the park. You don’t need to print anything out.
Step 7
On the day of your visit, remember to take some form of photo ID with you — you’ll be asked to show it to enter the park. The staff will check your ID number against their database and that’s that.
Taiwan Trails and Tales 