A muddy figure, heading for places people won't go; eyes filled with passion, gazing at the pristine land; a heart brimming with love, struggling between Nature and reality......

The efforts and achievements of our national parks in land and ecological conservation have been evident. To make the value of our land known and to implement the agenda of environmental education, the staff has visited every corner of Taiwan. Now besides conventional educational means, they are trying more lively ones to bring nature experience to people. Without formulaic love scenes and contrived plots, two trendy dramas about Shei-pa and Kenting National Parks stood out of the multitude of love dramas and won the Golden Bell Awards. The question is: how much affection and meaning can be conveyed by the unforgettable natural sceneries and endeavoring volunteers, staff, and scientists, all on the screen?

Shei-pa: The Starlight of Shengling, a Fictional Replica of Life up There
“If one can think of himself as fish, he would know what kind of environment we should provide them.” — Lin-yan Liao, chief of Wuling Station SPNP. In the heavy rain, “Uncle Salmon,” the deputy chief of Shei-pa National Park Headquarters insists on heading toward the Oncorhynchus masou formosanus conservation site on foot, while a park ranger is struck by lightning and in critical condition. These plots in The Starlight of Shengling Ridge may have

stretched the reality for dramatic tension, yet they do reflect the challenges and real life the national park staff faces up there in the mountain.

With his ardent love to the Oncorhynchus masou formosanus salmon, Chief Ling-yan Liao of Wuling Station is that“ Uncle Salmon” in reality. Though a bright man, Liao looks grave when talking about the challenges of preservingthe fish. “Even though I know someday the salmon'd fail to survive in nature, I can't help asking: how much we humans are to blame for its extinction?” sighed Liao.

In exchange for the convenience of economic developments, the view of schools of salmon swimming in the river can no longer be seen. As economic developments are inevitable, Liao thinks minimize the damages to nature. Since the preservation work of Oncorhynchus masou formosanus is more complex due to the relatively more related acts and laws, it should not be restricted within national parks. The task should be sustained actually by expanding the Fisheries Law and the common awareness outside the conservation area.

Chief Ming-tong Huang of Guanwu Station, also mi r rored in the show, thinks our knowledge of preservation should not be restricted only to some popular species. Thus Shei-pa National Park has been dedicated t o c ommunicating with communities and inviting tourists to join in the preservation work of the park.

• upper: One can never feel the infinity of Shengling Ridge without personally visiting it./ by Yan-ling Jhang
• lower left: Flowers in Shei-Pa National Park blossom during the springtime. It is a must-visit destination for many tourists. / by Yan-ling Chang
• lower right: Director Lin-yan Liao at SNPH is the show's “Uncle Salmon” in reality, and is enthusiastic with conservation of Oncorhynchus masou formosanus./ Photo provided by Lin-yan Liao

Interview & Text ／ Hsin-hua Lian
Translator ／Chunyi Cheng
Photo provided ／ SPNP Headquarters ,KTNP Headquarters, Ms. Shih-yuan Lyu , Honto Production
Special thanks to Chief Lin-yan Liao, Ms. Yan-ling Jhang of Wuling Station, Chief Ming-tong Huang of Guanwu Station, Ms. Shih-yuan Lyu, producer of The Starlight of Shengling, Ms. Cyong-yao Lin of KNP

Do Work with Their Lives and Love
“It is actually hard for me to understand why they are willing to work in such a harsh and even boring environment? What is it that drives them to give so much for this land, and even just a little fish on it? They look just so incompatible with our efficiency- and reward-seeking society…
-- Shih-yuan Lyu, producer of The Starlight of Shengling

In 1999 Ms. Shih-yuan Lyu had the first close contact with Shei-pa National Park (SNP); it was five days of unforgettable tour guiding, and river and mountain patrolling. Then supported by her own will and perseverance, as well as the assistance of SNP, she accomplished the impossible mission of making this show. “

We had not taken a shower for up to 17 days, yet this might be the least difficult of all,” recalled Lyu. “Everyone of us, including the actors, had to go up to the mountain with at least 10kg of baggage.

There were miscalculation from the lack of experience, accidents one after another, unpredictable weather conditions…; there were just so many unimaginably difficult challenges.”

Just for filming a few minutes of the show, the team once spent excessive time climbing up Pintian Mountain, putting their strength and endurance to their extremes, with a falling accident in the process. There were such heart-pounding experiences, yet there were also the good company of the headquarters staff during the tough year.

The vastness of the land felt on the Shengling Trail cannot be virtualized by high-tech means; without physical contact, one can neither understand the devotion of the park staff. From the hatching and plantation of salmon to the restoration of conservation pond damaged by typhoon, what the production team had obtained was far beyond their original expectation, which was merely to finish making the show. A message from a fan deeply moved the team: “I won’t just be happy for the typhoon holidays next time when a typhoon comes.”

• upper: Going through the complex Black Forest, one shall not leave the crew and act alone to avoid getting lost. / Photo taken by Yan-ling Jhang
• lower left: Things easily accomplished in cities become unattainable in Syue Mountain; there were just so many unimaginably diffcult challenges./ by Yan-ling Chang
• lower right: With courage and perseverance, Shih-yuan Lyu collaborated with SNPH and accomplished the impossible mission on Syue Mountain./ Photo provided by Shih-yuan Lyu

Kenting: The Sunny Sanctuary Arouses the Love for and Identity with the Land
Standing before the spectacular mountains and ocean, we are deeply grateful for the grace of Nature. The earth is shared by all the creatures, gods and humans; all lives can claim a right.

Kuang-chung Yu, in his foreword of Photo and Poetry Album of Kenting National Park

Kenting National Park (KNP) has the lovely scenery of blue sky and sea, white waves and beach. After the 2005 Tsunami, the headquarters has put even more stress on preserving its marine area. Meanwhile, the Public Television Station had the idea of producing a show set in the Kenting beach;

after careful consideration, they decided to present this piece of land that demands both environmental protection and human development via this familiar type of medium

“At first we were worried about falling back into the old, uninspiring formulas of soap operas,” said Ms. Jin-fang Shih, then-director of the park headquarters. “Luckily, we got a lot of positive feedbacks. Both the production team and the viewers had been educated. This is encouraging; it shows a sign of successful impact.”

Even though KNP is the first-established of its kind in Taiwan and its administration has been devoted to public guidance for over 20 years, the effect is still felt by many environmentalists to be desired; much precious information has been left out and needs to be learned by the public.

• upper: A snow-capped Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters looks just like a fairytale-like secret kingdom in Europe. / Photo taken by Yan-ling Jhang
• lower: The beautiful landscape of Kenting where the sky and ocean are of one color is the healing sanctuary for the dejected./ Photo provided by Honto Production.

Since the very beginning of the show’s production, the park headquarters had been incessantly elaborating to the cast, in an attempt to promote self-identification with local cultures and conservation concepts among the young generation. The results are pleasing; many have rediscovered the significance of environmental protection, and some even throw themselves into it.

A wide discussion about whether to keep the filming backdrops had been triggered in the show’s official forum. However, since “contact usually brings destruction,” it was finally decided to remove the backdrops, after prudent consideration and communication. With this we show our respect to the land.

A New Experience with Natural Sceneries

Every time I visit here, I feel the renewing power of the land. Kenting is like “the paradise for the dejected.”Someone would come here looking at the sea and drinking beer at every sunset for several months, waiting for the wound and resentment in his heart to be cleansed in this calmness.

Cheng-ze Niou, producer of I am at Kenting, and It Is Sunny Coming exhausted and hurt from the city, a confused and trapped man expects to find his self-orientation in nature. The sparks resulting from the encounter between humanity and nature are impressively bright. “After such a long contact with the land, our understanding of the beauty of Kenting significance of protecting the ecology, respecting the land and reusing our resources. This is actually another artistic dimension of filming,” said the production team.

Director Niou said he had tried to present two continuously struggling powers in Kenting: the one demanding the precious land and ecology to be protected, and the other seeking to stimulate economic growth through utilizing natural resources. He hopes the show draws not only idol worship by the fans but more attention to and discussion about our land.

The Starlight of Shengling and I Am at Kenting, and It is Sunny have both successfully added the refreshing element of our national parks to the already ossified formulas of trendy dramas. Through the power of the mass media, we see the passion toward our land is awakened, and ultimately, the identification with it is strengthened.

• upper left: The filming crew on their way to Black Forest: A scene of a few minutes may take nearly a hundred folds of time./  Photo taken by Yan-ling Jhang
• upper right: Program people could have recognitions and gains by themselves from their attending/ Yan-ling Jhang
• lower left: The beautiful landscape of Kenting where the sky and ocean are of one color is the healing sanctuary for the dejected./ Photo provided by Honto Production.
• lower center: They decided to present this piece of land that demands both environmental protection and human development via this familiar type of medium./ Provided by Honto Production.
• lower right: They decided to present this piece of land that demands both environmental protection and human development via this familiar type of medium./ Provided by Honto Production.