The ninth day of the Lunar New Year, commonly known as the “Birthday of the Jade Emperor,” is an important occasion. Many residents of Kinmen are busy preparing offerings and praying for blessings. Meanwhile, employees of Kinmen National Park Headquarters under the National Park Service of the Ministry of the Interior (the HQ) celebrate the New Year differently—carrying trash pickers and garbage bags as they head to Yuzhang Road on Taiwu Mountain to carry out a meaningful mountain cleanup activity, offering the most practical New Year’s blessing to the forest through their actions.

 This cleanup activity has become a “New Year's tradition” for the HQ. Staff temporarily set aside their desk work and walked along the familiar Taiwu Mountain Trail, hiking while carefully searching for litter scattered along the way. Some jokingly say, “This is the most environmentally friendly New Year work-start ceremony!” Along the route, staff can often be seen bending down to pick up trash. Whether it is small beverage cans or candy wrappers hidden among fallen leaves, everything is collected and removed, restoring Taiwu Mountain to a fresh and clean state.

The HQ noted that the front section of Yuzhang Road has been temporarily reopened during the Lunar New Year holiday period, with construction suspended through March 5. The road will close again on March 6, 2026, as work resumes. The project is expected to be completed in July 2026, with the exact completion date to be announced separately. After completion, the original route will be restored.

Taiwu Mountain is an important natural and cultural asset of Kinmen, and maintaining a high-quality recreational environment is an ongoing goal of the HQ. Through the annual mountain cleanup on the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, the staff demonstrates their sense of responsibility and commitment to protecting the mountains and forests. They also hope to inspire more members of the public to uphold the principles of “no littering” and “leave no trace,” so that this beautiful forest can continue to welcome every visitor in its most natural state.