Zhongzheng Mountain (Traditional Chinese: 中正山), originally named Mituo Mountain and also known as Shiba Fen Mountain or Daganlin Mountain, is a peak in the northern part of the

Taipei Basin The Taipei Basin () is a geographic region in northern Taiwan. It is the largest basin in Taiwan. The basin is bounded by the Yangmingshan to the north, the Linkou Plateau to the west, and the Ridge of Xueshan Range to the southeast. The shape ...

within the Datun Volcano Group in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. With an elevation of 646 meters, it is located in

Beitou District Beitou District is the northernmost of the twelve districts of Taipei City, Taiwan. The historical spelling of the district is Peitou. The name originates from the Ketagalan word ''Kipatauw'', meaning witch. Beitou is the most mountainous and ...

Taipei City , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Countr ...

, within the

Yangmingshan National Park Yangmingshan National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan, located in both Taipei and New Taipei City. The districts that are partially in the park include Taipei's Beitou and Shilin Districts; and New Taipei's Wanli, Jinshan ...

. Formed by volcanic rocks on the southern side of Mt. Datun, it is referred to as Maitreya Mountain by the abbot of Fahua

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

at the foot of the mountain. In the early 1950s, during the early years of the

Nationalist government The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...

in Taiwan, the mountain was renamed Zhongzheng Ridge to celebrate the birthday of President Chiang Kai-shek. Later, it was changed to Zhongzheng Mountain. The

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

(KMT) and its affiliated organizations, starting from the 1950s, established birthday altars on the mountain on President Chiang Kai-shek's birthday. They organized mass ascents for the "Birthday Ascent," and in the 1960s, they expanded it to a "Ten Thousand People Ascent" symbolizing boundless longevity. Participants chanted praises to the "World Renowned Leader" and the "Savior of the Nation," shouting cheers in his honor. Even after his passing, annual "Memorial Ascents" continued for over a decade. In 1956, the

Forestry Bureau The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency () is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan (ROC). History The Forestry Bureau was originally established in 1945 as the Office of Forestry Administration. In June 1947, the office was d ...

, in collaboration with the Presidential Office, carried out afforestation with the image of the characters "中正" (Zhongzheng) on the southern slope of the mountain facing the direction of Taipei City. Each character was about one hundred meters wide and visible from Beitou City when the weather was clear, serving as a landmark for

Beitou Beitou District is the northernmost of the twelve districts of Taipei City, Taiwan. The historical spelling of the district is Peitou. The name originates from the Ketagalan word ''Kipatauw'', meaning witch. Beitou is the most mountainous and ...

. However, by the 1990s, the characters became increasingly indistinct, and by 2003, aerial photos showed that they were difficult to recognize. This deterioration was attributed to the infestation of pine wood nematodes over the years and the passing of volunteers who had been pruning the trees since 2007. As of now, the characters are no longer discernible.陽明山國家公園中正山
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References

{{coord, 25, 09, 28, N, 121, 30, 57, E, type:mountain_region:TW, display=title Mountains of Taiwan