Taiwan has announced the world’s first ‘Certified Quiet Road’

(CNN) — To travel this route in Taiwan, tourists should use more ears than eyes, and most importantly – close.

The Kuifeng Lake Circular Route is a pristine hiking trail that hugs Taiwan’s largest alpine lake in northeastern Yilan County, 135 kilometers (84 mi) from the capital Taipei.

It is recognized as the world’s first “safeway” by an international non-profit group.

It was recognized by US-based Quiet Place International (QPI), which aims to protect peaceful urban and natural spaces by researching and raising public awareness of the benefits and importance of “quietness”.

Built on the old tracks of the forest railway between 1,900 and 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) above sea level, the trail passes through a lush and humid cypress forest, which serves as a “natural sound” layer. -Bubble absorption,” QPI said in a statement.

The lowest measured volume on the trail is less than 25 decibels, which is the QPI classification for “almost silent.”

While the 3.95-kilometer (2.5-mile) trail is frequented by visitors, many hikers turn back at the end of the 300-meter boardwalk after taking in the view of the lake. This decrease in the number of hikers will help preserve the natural tranquility of the trail, according to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau.

The certification is welcome news for Taiwan, which has lost tourism revenue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although the island eased entry restrictions and ended home or hotel isolation for three days starting June 15, leisure tourists still could not visit. This has made domestic travel even more important to the economy.

“For a densely populated island, the world’s first certified ‘safe road’ has special significance for Taiwan,” said Lin Hua Ching, director of the Forestry Development Bureau.

Ten years in the making

What first struck noted Nature Sound reporter Laila Phan about the trail was how quiet it was, yet varied and rich with ambient sounds and animal noises.

“Silence does not mean that there is nothing there. On the contrary, something is already there, but we never pay attention, we never listen,” Fan said.

Her efforts resulted in the Taiwanese government declaring the road the first “security road” on the island in 2018, and later this year it received QPI certification.

A fan can bring in new visitors by advertising the quiet trail – and they won’t mind their noise. Instead, she hopes the designation and continued focus will encourage visitors to “open their senses” and understand how to celebrate silence.

“I encourage people to walk this path with a spirit of humility and open their hearts to listen,” Fan told CNN Travel. “Once it’s quiet, you can hear everything around you.”

What comes next

QPI hopes the certification will raise awareness of the need for people and wildlife to practice silence and encourage conservation of habitats – and silence.

For a fan, validation of the trail is the first step.

“Creating more quiet roads is important not only for humans, but also for the animals that live in the forest. They need a quiet environment to communicate with each other and reproduce in order for life to continue,” Fan said.