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The original name “Raknus Selu” reflects the cultural and historical depth of this route. “Raknus” comes from the Saisiyat and Atayal languages, referring to the camphor tree and carrying the memory of Taiwan’s inland camphor industry. “Selu,” meaning “small path” in Hakka, symbolizes trails closely connected to everyday life. This hybrid naming of Indigenous and Hakka languages not only records the history of early interethnic relations but also expresses a hope for future coexistence and peace.
Raknus Selu spans approximately 380 kilometers, with a main route stretching from Longtan in Taoyuan to Dongshi in Taichung, and an additional 160-kilometer branch network. The trail includes mountain paths, footpaths, industrial roads, and existing highways, weaving together diverse natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes. As one of Taiwan’s most important cultural greenways, it embodies the layered history of inland development and everyday life. Echoing the Hakka saying, “If mountain songs are not sung, they are forgotten; if old roads are not walked, they become overgrown,” the route is continuously reconnected and reinterpreted as a contemporary cultural corridor.
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The Ancient Trail Passport is designed around the idea of commemoration and collection. It adopts a 13-fold accordion structure, unfolding to reveal a complete stamp collection system featuring 22 trail-specific stamps designed by three artists. The act of walking and documenting becomes a form of artistic collection, transforming the passport into both an archive and an object of display.
The visual identity centers on the camphor tree, abstracted into its trifoliate venation as the core graphic symbol. The cover features a metallic grey-green base with black foil-stamped typography, conveying a refined and grounded materiality. The inner pages use a soft grey paper with a subtle blue tint, enhancing depth and readability. The transparent sleeve incorporates linework derived from camphor leaf veins, while fluorescent green accents introduce a contemporary sense of direction and movement along the trail.
In addition, stamp stations and signage systems are placed along the route in collaboration with a woodcarving studio, featuring red identity marks carved into wooden boards to create clear wayfinding elements. Combined with maps, stamp collection behaviors, and physical artifacts, the system transforms walking into an accumulative cultural experience—where movement becomes a way of reading landscape and memory.
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