During the Japanese Occupation Period, a part of Datun Volcano group was designated as the intended site of the “Datun National Park,” which encompassed areas such as Mt. Qixing, Mt. Datun and Mt. Guanyin. However, the plan was put on hold after the start of the Second World War. In 1963, the Tourism Affairs Section of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications commissioned the Taiwan Provincial Bureau of Public Works to re-zone and combine the Yangmingshan Park areas of Mt. Qixing, Mt. Datun, Jinshan and the northern coastal districts of Yehliu and Cape Fugui into the “Yangmingshan National Park” spanning approximately 28,400 hectares. However, the plan was also shelved due to the absence of a law regarding national park legislature.
In 1981, based on the proposal of General He Yingqin and the related research organizations, the Yangmingshan National Park plan was officially promulgated in 1985. The Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters and National Park Police were established on September 16 1985 and March 13 1986, respectively, to promote and develop various park management affairs.