Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters aborigine guide training

Aborigine guide training—participants pictured together beside Fayun Temple, Dahu Township, Miaoli County (苗栗大湖法雲寺)

To help develop eco-tourism in the aborigine villages on the periphery of Shei-Pa National Park, give residents of the villages specialized guide knowledge, combining traditional aborigine culture and ecological wisdom, allow them to serve as guides and help protect local natural resources, the fourth and fifth Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters aborigine guide training courses will be held this year.

An outdoor bird watching class at Fayun Temple, Dahu Township, Miaoli County(苗栗大湖法雲寺)

The Park Headquarters hopes that the training will give residents a better understanding of local history and Atayal (泰雅) and Saisiyat(賽夏) culture, deepening their feeling of belonging to their home area, giving residents a second skill and increasing employment opportunities and that it will lead to the building of a guide certification system and a complete guide mechanism. It is also hoped that training will allow visitors to understand and respect local aborigine culture and the natural environment and will avoid excessive tourism causing the loss of Atayal (泰雅) and Saisiyat(賽夏) culture and damage to the natural environment.

Translated by：Kevin Lax
Source：Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters