Restoration of Rare Plants in Hsinchu and Miaoli; Demonstration Base Built in Xinpu, Tongxiao
For Earth Day, the Forestry Agency showcased a rare plant restoration base at Xinpu Station, Tongxiao. Cross-sector collaboration has transformed idle land to protect biodiversity hotspots.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 21:02
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(Central News Agency reporter Kuan Jui-ping, Miaoli County, 22nd) In response to Earth Day, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Hsinchu Branch under the Ministry of Agriculture held a Hsinchu-Miaoli Rare Plant Restoration Exhibition today in front of the Xinpu Train Station in Tongxiao Township, Miaoli. Through cross-agency and public-private collaboration, unused land has been transformed into a demonstration base for rare plant restoration.
The Hsinchu Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency pointed out that the shallow mountain areas of western Taiwan have long faced land development pressures. Coupled with the dry environment brought by the winter northeast monsoon and the threat of wildfires during the tomb-sweeping season, most rare native plants are at high risk.
The Hsinchu Branch stated that the Xinpu area of Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County, due to its special geographical environment, nurtures over 17 rare and threatened plants, including the Taiwan Syneilesis and Rhaponticum uniflorum, within an area of just about 5 square kilometers. The species density is up to 125 times the national average, making it a "hotspot among hotspots" balancing biodiversity, ecological landscapes, and cultural value.
Since 2020, the Hsinchu Branch has initiated a systematic restoration project, ranging from survey and inventory, germplasm conservation and seedling cultivation, to expanded promotion and planting in native habitats. This has gradually expanded into cross-domain collaboration, allowing germplasm conservation and environmental education to progress on dual tracks. This includes establishing a "Mini Rare Plant Conservation Garden" at Xinpu Elementary School in 2022, promoting the planting of cultivated seedlings to Xinpu Train Station and community corners in 2023, and successfully reintroducing the critically endangered species "Rhaponticum uniflorum" to the surroundings of the Lingding Fude Temple in its native habitat in 2024, as well as extending conservation sites to General Village in Hsinchu City.
Over the past two years, the Hsinchu Branch has combined ecology with art, introducing "Cyanotype Creation" courses and training residents to become local seed teachers. This year marks the first collaboration with Taiwanese companies to adopt idle land around Xinpu Train Station, integrating 8 threatened plants, including Rhaponticum uniflorum, Hsinchu wild chrysanthemum, and Aster shimadai, into landscape applications, turning it into a rare plant restoration demonstration base.
With the theme "Encountering a Century of Rebirth at a Century-old Station," the Hsinchu Branch held the "Blooming Terroir of Hsinchu-Miaoli Rare Plant Restoration" results display and exchange event today in front of Xinpu Station. Participants included the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, local communities, Xinpu Elementary School, Taiwan Railway Corporation, local NGOs, and enterprises.
Hsia Jung-sheng, director of the Hsinchu Branch, said that every species in the ecosystem, including nectar and pollinator plants, has its value and significance. The disappearance of a single species could lead to the successive extinction of other species, and in the long run, cause the breakdown of food chains and the collapse of ecosystems, affecting the living environments of humans and all life. He hopes that through long-term collaboration across agencies, communities, and schools, a diverse and mutually beneficial green network can be gradually woven. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150422
The Hsinchu Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency pointed out that the shallow mountain areas of western Taiwan have long faced land development pressures. Coupled with the dry environment brought by the winter northeast monsoon and the threat of wildfires during the tomb-sweeping season, most rare native plants are at high risk.
The Hsinchu Branch stated that the Xinpu area of Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County, due to its special geographical environment, nurtures over 17 rare and threatened plants, including the Taiwan Syneilesis and Rhaponticum uniflorum, within an area of just about 5 square kilometers. The species density is up to 125 times the national average, making it a "hotspot among hotspots" balancing biodiversity, ecological landscapes, and cultural value.
Since 2020, the Hsinchu Branch has initiated a systematic restoration project, ranging from survey and inventory, germplasm conservation and seedling cultivation, to expanded promotion and planting in native habitats. This has gradually expanded into cross-domain collaboration, allowing germplasm conservation and environmental education to progress on dual tracks. This includes establishing a "Mini Rare Plant Conservation Garden" at Xinpu Elementary School in 2022, promoting the planting of cultivated seedlings to Xinpu Train Station and community corners in 2023, and successfully reintroducing the critically endangered species "Rhaponticum uniflorum" to the surroundings of the Lingding Fude Temple in its native habitat in 2024, as well as extending conservation sites to General Village in Hsinchu City.
Over the past two years, the Hsinchu Branch has combined ecology with art, introducing "Cyanotype Creation" courses and training residents to become local seed teachers. This year marks the first collaboration with Taiwanese companies to adopt idle land around Xinpu Train Station, integrating 8 threatened plants, including Rhaponticum uniflorum, Hsinchu wild chrysanthemum, and Aster shimadai, into landscape applications, turning it into a rare plant restoration demonstration base.
With the theme "Encountering a Century of Rebirth at a Century-old Station," the Hsinchu Branch held the "Blooming Terroir of Hsinchu-Miaoli Rare Plant Restoration" results display and exchange event today in front of Xinpu Station. Participants included the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, local communities, Xinpu Elementary School, Taiwan Railway Corporation, local NGOs, and enterprises.
Hsia Jung-sheng, director of the Hsinchu Branch, said that every species in the ecosystem, including nectar and pollinator plants, has its value and significance. The disappearance of a single species could lead to the successive extinction of other species, and in the long run, cause the breakdown of food chains and the collapse of ecosystems, affecting the living environments of humans and all life. He hopes that through long-term collaboration across agencies, communities, and schools, a diverse and mutually beneficial green network can be gradually woven. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150422