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27-552: The city of Hengchun is the entryway to Kenting National Park , the southernmost National Park in the country. With pristine beaches and a vibrant tourist industry, the Hengchun area often attracts more travelers than local residents. The city itself was once completely surrounded by a city wall ; now about half of the wall remains intact, as well as the four city gates. On weekends, the streets of nearby Kenting are filled with cars and tour buses. The 2008 Taiwanese film Cape No. 7 ,

54-452: A clear sunny day can reach as high as 28–30 °C. During the warm and wet season temperature range from 24 to 32 degrees Celsius with a relatively abundant rainfall especially from May–October, when Taiwan is affected by the Pacific typhoon season . Hengchun's spring-like climate is very much dictated by its location surrounded by the ocean, resulting in a noticeably smaller difference between

81-484: A new city in Longkiau (which he gave the more propitious Chinese name "Hengchun") to accommodate and protect foreign sailors. This request was granted: the portion of Fengshan County south of Fangliao 's river became the new Hengchun County and its officials fortified a village south of the old Longkiau as their new county seat. The old location continued to be known as Longkiau. Taiwan Prefecture originally covered

108-399: A north, east, south, and west gate and the outer circumference of the moat measures 880 zhang (about 2,700 m or 8,800 ft). In 1988, an actual measurement of the length was conducted, showing that the length in total amount to 2,550 meters (8,370 ft). The peak season of tourism in Hengchun usually lasts from April to late October when daytime temperatures are usually hot, while

135-701: Is a national park located on the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County , Taiwan , covering Hengchun , Checheng , and Manzhou Townships. Established on 1 January 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and the southernmost national park on the main island, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island along Bashi Channel . Administered by the National Park Service of the Ministry of the Interior , this national park

162-595: Is affected by a cold front. The climate is also supportive of tropical rainforests (tropical monsoon rainforest) which occupied the entire Hengchun peninsula, while palm trees and other tropical vegetation grows on the coastlines, much like the rest of Pingtung. The Hengchun Peninsula experiences strong katabatic winds . The township comprises 17 villages: Chengbei, Chengnan, Chengxi, Daguang, Dehe, Eluan, Jiahu, Kending, Longshui, Nanwan, Renshou, Shanhai, Shanjiao, Shuiquan, Sigou, Tougou and Wangsha. Vocational High School Middle School Elementary Schools Hengchun

189-404: Is generally divided into two seasons, the cooler and drier season and the warmer and wetter season. During the cool and dry season from early December to late March of the following year, precipitation are relatively low with temperatures ranging from 18 to 26 degrees Celsius, occasional cold fronts can drop both the day and the night time temperatures by around 2–4 °C, while temperatures during

216-463: Is known for its tropical climate with warm to hot weather year-round. Along with the rest of Pingtung , the climate is geographically classified as a tropical monsoon climate . The park hosts rich terrestrial biodiversity of fauna and flora including 15 species of mammals, 310 species of birds, 59 species of reptiles and amphibians, 21 species of freshwater fish, 216 species of butterflies, and various insects. Eluanbi Park or Oluanpi Park (鹅鑾鼻公園)

243-621: Is located at Cape Eluanbi . Nature reserves such as the Longkeng Ecological Protection Area (龍坑生態保護區) protecting coral reefs and virgin forest of Banana Bay and Hengchun Peninsula. 26 species of land crabs inhabit in the area and which is the highest diversity of terrestrial crabs in single areas in the world. 34 species of terrestrial mammals including 5 locally extinct such as Formosan clouded leopard , and 4 introduced such as water buffalo , have been recorded. Formosan sika deer which became extinct in wild in 1969,

270-615: Is located within Kenting National Park and is the gateway to the tropical beach resorts and night markets of Kenting, therefore it is one of the most well known tourist towns in Taiwan. The " Hengchun Old Town " (恆春古城) is one of the best-preserved historical towns in Taiwan with four gates intact and about half of the walls remaining. It was built during the Qing dynasty in the 1st year of the Guangxu Era (1875) and completed in 1879. It has

297-578: Is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean , the Taiwan Strait , and the Luzon Strait . The park is 90 kilometres (56 mi) away from Kaohsiung , 140 kilometres (87 mi) away from Tainan . The landscape boasted by Kenting National Park is divided into two parts by the long and narrow Hengchun Longitudinal Valley Plain that extends from north to south. With coral sea cliffs teemed with fringing reefs along

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324-658: Is well known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March, and has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan with 5.84 million visitors in 2016. Kenting (墾丁, Kun-ting in Taiwanese ) means pathfinders or pioneers. The park covers about 181 square kilometres (70 sq mi) of land, 152 square kilometres (59 sq mi) of sea, weighing in at 333 square kilometres (129 sq mi) combined. Nan Wan and Banana Bay (香蕉灣)

351-647: The 1950s and 60s, and these were some of the last report of the species in Taiwanese waters. The national park is an important stopover on the migration path of the gray-faced buzzard . Eluanbi Lighthouse was completed in 1883, following requests from the American and Japanese governments to the Chinese government after several shipwrecks occurred in the 1860s (including the Rover incident ). Chinese troops had to be sent to protect

378-477: The Qing Empire's refusal to take responsibility for the actions of Taiwan's aborigines, the viceroy of Liangjiang Shen Baozhen toured Taiwan in 1875 in preparation for reform of the island's administration. He ordered attacks against the still restive tribes and began a building program in the southern half of the island which included the fortified lighthouse at Eluanbi . He memorialized on behalf of building

405-559: The day and night temperatures than most other townships of Pingtung. Hengchun is usually cooler than other townships in the county during daytime and warmer than others during the night, especially during the winter months, when daily lows usually hovers around 18–20 degrees Celsius at Hengchun and around 15–18 at Pingtung city, while daily highs usually hovers around 24–26 degrees Celsius at the township and 25–28 at Pingtung City. Temperatures dips below 15 degrees Celsius on average once every 3 years, mostly on early mornings of January when Taiwan

432-639: The entire island as part of Fujian Province . When the island became its own province in 1887, Hengchun County formed part of Tainan Prefecture . Under Japanese rule , the town was known as Kōshun. It received a local office ( 町 , chō ) in November 1901 and became the seat of its own district in Takao Prefecture in 1920. Commercial whaling began in the area from 1913 to 1915, and was revived from 1920 to 1943. The Republic of China (ROC) took over Taiwan after World War II . Hengchun's whaling industry

459-455: The equitable climate during his 1875 inspection of Taiwan Island , with the area's crops staying "green and prosperous" year-round. He began calling the area Hengchun ("Always Spring ") before he left, and the name has remained ever since. Under Japanese rule , the area was known as Kōshun , from the Japanese pronunciation of the same name. The village of Longkiau was the southernmost town that

486-399: The lighthouse during construction from attacks by local tribesmen, and the lighthouse was surrounded by a fort with cannons and a ditch for protection. It is one of the rare examples in the world of a fortified lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is 21.4 metres (70 ft) high and its light is 56.4 metres (185 ft) above the tidal high water. The light flashes every 10 seconds and its range

513-907: The off season lasts from November to March of the following year, with the exception of the week of the Chinese New Year holiday which usually takes place during late January or February, when large amount of tourist from around the whole country, mostly from Northern Taiwan travels to Hengchun and Kenting for the peninsula's warm weather. The township was served by Hengchun Airport , with domestic flights from Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei . Scheduled flights ceased in 2014. 22°00′N 120°45′E  /  22.000°N 120.750°E  / 22.000; 120.750 Kenting National Park Kenting National Park ( Chinese : 墾丁國家公園 ; pinyin : Kěndīng Gúojiā Gōngyuán ), commonly known as Kenting ( Chinese : 墾丁 ; pinyin : Kěndīng ),

540-622: The top-grossing film in Taiwan's film history, features Hengchun. The area of the modern township was known to the Dutch as Lonkjouw, alternatively spelled Liangkiau, Long-kiau, Longkiau , Loncjou, Lonckjau, Lonckiau, Lonkiauw, Lonckjouw, and Lonckquiouw in early records. The name was borrowed from the Paiwan language of the Paiwan people who lived in the area before the Han Chinese 's colonization during 18th century. The Qing viceroy Shen Baozhen noted

567-485: The west coast, the park features a large number of mountains in the north, and coral tablelands and foothills in the south. The plain, which is formed by fault valleys, has a vast lake called Longluan Lake , together with rising coral tablelands and limestone caves to the east. The east side of the coral tablelands features unique sand rivers and sand waterfalls formed by the combined effects of winds and rivers, as well as coral cliffs, sunken caves and stalactites . Kenting

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594-500: Was occupied by the Dutch on Taiwan Island . The area was mostly occupied by the Paiwan and other Taiwanese aborigines . After the Rover Incident , wherein shipwrecked American sailors were massacred by the locals, Charles Le Gendre , the US consul at Amoy (Xiamen), visited the area. He found Longkiau at the far point of the curve forming Longkiau Bay. Its population of about 1,500

621-501: Was "mostly engaged in the culture of peanuts, rice, sweet potatoes, a little sugar cane, and also in fishing". In response to the 1871 Mudan Incident , wherein shipwrecked Ryukyuan sailors were massacred by the locals, Japan —following America's example —undertook a punitive expedition in 1874. The Japanese landed in Longkiau Bay and pushed north from there. Now aware of the danger of foreign interference and colonization posed by

648-537: Was first reintroduced into Kenting National Park in 1994. Aside from sika deer , 6 species of terrestrial mammals were once thought to be extinct in the area, while critically endangered Chinese pangolin were rediscovered a decade after. Ocean current which flows off the park provides rich diversities of marine ecosystems including sea birds, sea turtles including critically endangered hawksbill turtles , sharks such as bull sharks manta-rays , and whale sharks , and smaller to medium-sized cetaceans . The area

675-461: Was once a major wintering ground for sperm and baleen whales especially humpback whales that migrated into Nan Wan and Banana Bay. Japanese whaling during Japanese colonial days , led to severe depletions or disappearances of whales in consequence. Today, no or very few whales may constantly migrate along Hengchun Peninsula and into the park's waters. Dugongs , thought to be either fully or functionally extinct in Taiwan, were reported in

702-400: Was restored in 1955 and formally banned in 1981. On December 26, 2006, a 7.0–7.2 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter off the southwest coast of Taiwan occurred (approximately 22.8 km southwest of Hengchun). It caused damage to many houses in Hengchun, including fifteen historical buildings in the historic center of the township. Two casualties were reported, with many more injured. It

729-512: Was the strongest earthquake to hit Hengchun in one hundred years. Hengchun is the southernmost administrative division of the island. It is bordered to the northwest by Checheng Township and to the northeast by Manzhou Township . Hengchun is well known for its tropical monsoon climate with warm temperatures year round, as befits its name . It usually has neither a cool winter nor an extremely hot summer, with average monthly mean temperatures ranging between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius. The climate

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