Travelers are again allowed to visit Guishan Island off the coast of northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan County, the Tourism Administration announced during a beach cleanup and tree-planting activity Feb. 28 on the island.
According to the TA, Guishan Island is usually closed to the public from every Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 to allow the island’s ecology to recuperate. However, extensive damage resulting from October 2024’s Typhoon Kong-rey led the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration to announce an early closure Nov. 5 to effect repairs.
The agency spent four months restoring facilities on the island to return it to pristine condition. TA Director-General Chou Yung-hui thanked the Coast Guard Administration and local fisheries and tourism promotion associations for their support in the process.
Beginning March 1, up to 1,800 people per day will be allowed to register to visit the island Thursday through Tuesday, and only 100 will be granted permits to hike the interior. Wednesdays are reserved for researchers.
The only active volcano in the country, Guishan Island is 10 kilometers off the coast of Toucheng Township. Popular activities include hiking the island’s coast and peak, exploring an abandoned military tunnel, spotting dragonflies, and joining whale- and dolphin-watching tours. (SFC-E)
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