Taiwan's bamboo forests are estimated to cover 150,000 hectares, or about six times the area of metropolitan Taipei, and include some 24 varieties. Because bamboo plants grow so much faster than trees, and can typically be harvested for use after only four years, some people refer to these forests as "bamboo mines."
估計台灣竹林面積約有 15 萬公頃，相當於 6 個台北市；種類多達 24 種，竹子生長速度也比樹木快，平均 4 年就可採伐利用，堪稱「竹礦」寶藏。