Mr. Axiou Lin

Mr. Axiou Lin is the Founding Chair and current President of the Taiwan Dark Sky Association (TDA), the Taiwanese affiliate of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). He previously served as Commissioner of the Department of Civil Affairs of Taipei City, Taiwan’s capital. Combining his experience in public policy, social activism, and community planning, he has reshaped the relationship between lighting, stargazing, and urban life, becoming a key driving force in Taiwan’s dark-sky conservation movement.

Lin’s journey into the dark-sky movement was motivated by his conviction that “dark skies” are not just about seeing stars, but about restoring natural rhythm, ecological balance and the human connection to night. He often emphasizes that the goal is not “turning off lights,” but “reducing unnecessary light,” and that urban lighting must satisfy the principle of “dark sky, not dark ground.” One of his most significant achievements is as overall planning lead for the Hehuanshan Dark Sky Park project, where he helped secure IDA certification and put in place long-term monitoring of night-sky quality, cooperation agreements with local government and tourism stakeholders, and commitments to reduce light pollution in adjacent areas.

Beyond mountain sites, Lin has expanded his advocacy to urban settings: he leads city “dark-sky walks,” collaborates with municipal governments on lighting redesign, and works to shift public perceptions of “brighter is better.” He argues that over-illumination affects ecology, human well-being and energy use—and that thoughtful design brings calmer, healthier nights.

In his leadership role at TDA, Lin oversees six core pillars—training, policy research, industry engagement, lighting-monitoring, legislation and international advocacy—and he aims for Taiwan to become a regional leader for star-friendly, sustainable lighting and nightscape conservation.