Tai Pao-tsun says that the search for a national symbol is an exercise in displaying the self-confidence and self-awareness of the people of Taiwan. If Taiwanese identify themselves as "the children of Yushan," that would show a respect for nature and love of their native land. This way of interpreting Yushan as a symbol, he says, would be more meaningful than merely saying, "Yushan represents Taiwanese soil."
戴寶村解釋，「尋找國家意象」是人民自信與自覺的展現，如果台灣人以「我們是玉山的子民」做為自我認同，這其中含有的敬畏自然、愛生護土的深意，將比「玉山是台灣領土的代表」更深刻，更令人感動。