A ridge walk connecting Jinmianshan 金面山 to Baishishan 白石山 in the Daxi District of Taoyuan. The route starts out with a strenuous climb to Jinmianshan and then follows a narrow trail along the ridge, usually in forest and sometimes popping out on the spine of a stony ridge for great views. After Baishishan--which has the most spectacular views-- the trail descends beneath its white spotted cliffs and follows a shady stream valley and the Datieliao Historical Trail 打鐵寮古道 to the village of Sanceng. The route traverses 5 peaks. Transportation is a little challenging but its very much worth the effort.
Distance/Time: 13.5 km/ 7 hours and 10 minutes. Here are more details as well as maps. I recorded two tracks. One for the hike: http://rblr.co/OgWz1 and one for the road walk from Sanceng back to Daxi: http://rblr.co/OgWz5
The Trail:
I consider this a hard hike --mainly because of it's length and because the climb to the ridge is very steep.
The trail to Jinmianshan starts out relatively gently but soon starts climbing. There are a lot of very steep parts using ropes including one exciting section that is almost vertical. This route avoids the wetter side of Jinmianshan and was all very dry when I was there. The trail along the ridge was also very dry and I didn't encounter any slippery parts until going back down through the stream valley after Baishishan.
This Jinmianshan should not be confused with a more popular one in Neihu with the same
name. If you do a google search for "Jinmianshan" you are likely to get
results for the one in Neihu.
The route along the ridge is narrow. There are a few rough parts and scrambles over rocks but most of it is just putting one foot in front of another on a nice trail through the wilderness, coming out occasionally onto the bare ridge. It is not strenuous but it is deceptive. It follows the gentle up and downs of the ridge but you are still climbing and descending. And it's a long walk. I was very tired by the end. The route is easy to follow. There are only a few turns and they are all marked.
The trail after Baishishan is more humid and follows a stream surrounded by lush green growth.
I only saw 4 other people on the Jinmianshan trail. Which surprised me because I had been there the week before and it had been more crowded. I met two groups and one other solo hiker on the ridge trail. On the Datieliao Historical Trail you are likely to see a lot more people out for a shorter, more leisurely hike.
Officially there are 5 peaks on the trail.
Jinshanmianshan 金山面山 (385 meters), is a small summit more like a hill-- with a clearing but no view that is reached near the beginning of the trail.
Jianmianshan 金面山 (667 meters), is number 21 on the list of the hundred small peaks of Taiwan (Xiao Bai Yue). At the top there is are two clearings and a view.
583 Peak (583 峰) (583 m) This peak shows up on the map but I passed it without even noticing it, so it must not be very remarkable.
Shishanfenshan 十三分山 (615 meters), has a nice open spot on it's flat summit. It is also the junction for returning to the Jinmianshan loop hike.
Baishishan 白石山 (625 meters), is topped by a massive slanted stone ridge with spectacular views. The trail then passes under the cliffs which are covered with pale lichen and latticed with column like tree roots.
The Datieliao Historical Trail 打鐵寮古道 which in English means "Blacksmith Village Trail" passes through a wet, lush, vale and sometimes follows a stream.
This would be a great trail to hike in April or May when the Tong blossoms are in bloom. This area is known for them.
For a shorter loop trail around Jinmianshan see this post: Jinmianshan 金面山
Here is another nice walk not far from Daxi: Guanyin Cave 觀音洞 Trail, Sanmin Bat Cave 觀音洞 and Tuba Tribe Stone Church
What to bring: I packed food and since it was an unseasonably hot day for November, took three liters of water. I've been experimenting with taking a Katadyn BeFree filter and at the end I filtered about one more liter from the stream. However, there is nowhere to get water until you come down from the ridge so taking enough water is essential. The trail is mostly shaded but I got some sun too so sunscreen, a hat and long sleeves are a good idea.
Transportation: Transportation to and from the trail is a little difficult. Since it's a point to point hike, if you drive, you are stuck with your car at the other end. And there are no buses to the trail on the Jinmianshan side.
If driving, something to consider is that apparently Google maps shows a turn that does not exist on the way to the chicken restaurant near the trailhead. Once on that road though there is only one way to go, so just follow it until the end.
I took a bus from Taipei to Daxi and then took a cab to the trail. It's about a 15 minute cab ride.
Bus 710 leaves from near Exit 4 of Yongning MRT Station. It takes about an hour and comes every 30-40 minutes. However, people line up for the bus and if it fills up you will have to stay in line and wait for the next one. The bus seats 30 people and standing is not permitted because it goes on the highway. So it's good to get there early. The last stop in Daxi is called Daxi Station. I took the 8 a.m. bus.
I got a taxi easily and told the driver I wanted to go to the Jinmianshan parking lot. I wasn't sure if he would know it but he seemed to know right away what I was talking about. He told me it would be NT$250.
I wanted to go to the parking lot next to this chicken restaurant: Google maps link
But he took me to another parking lot that I did not know about. I could have gotten off there because there is another trail (which I have not walked) that soon joins the trail I would take.
But a friend was meeting me at the parking lot near the chicken restaurant so I showed him the google maps link with the name of the restaurant. He grumbled a little and added NT50 to the fare but he took me there.
At the end of the hike I was hoping to catch a bus or a taxi back to Daxi. I know that buses 5093 and the 5094 pass through Sanceng and go to the Daxi bus terminal. However, when I arrived at the bus stop the BusTracker Taiwan app said the first bus would be in 65 minutes and I never saw any taxis on that road. So I ended up walking 2.8 km back to town--which was not bad. It was downhill and only took 30 minutes.
I took the 710 back to Yongning. When I arrived at the bus stop the 5:00 bus was just about to depart but it filled up and I had to wait for half an hour for the 5:30 bus which because of Sunday traffic took over an hour.
The hike: I had planned to meet a friend at the parking lot of the chicken restaurant. When I was in the taxi I was surprised to see him on the side of the road and knowing his car must be nearby I told the taxi driver to let me out.
His car was just up the road near another entrance to the mountain. One of the "back" ways up Jinmianshan. Since he already had a parking spot we decided to just walk from there to the chicken restaurant which took a little over ten minutes.
We passed the chicken restaurant and got to the trailhead at 10:08.
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| There is a bigger parking lot at the trailhead which is up the road, past the restaurant |
The trail started out on a drivable track but very shortly there was a right turn, up a steep hill through bamboo.
First we took the short detour to Jinshanmianshan (385 meters).
An hour after we started hiking the trail started to get more steep. Here my friend decided to head back to his car and I continued solo. He was still recovering from a surgery and was just out for a day in the countryside and a short hike.
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| Part of the way up the nearly vertical climb. One of the most fun parts of the ascent. |
Near the top there was a fork. Jinmianshan was straight ahead.
There was a couple there and I talked to them for a few minutes. They were very easy going and I enjoyed chatting with them--asking each other where we lived, had we been to Jianmianshan before etc....
I had a long walk ahead of me so I did not rest for long. I continued on a trail straight past the summit. This short trail goes down steeply at first then contours back under the hill of the summit and joins a trail at a T-junction.
Just a few minutes later there is another junction. The right fork eventually leads back to the road at the beginning of the Jinmianshan trail. I turned left again.
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| I took the left fork here toward 583 Peak and Shishanfenshan |
In just over 200 meters I came to another fork at a clearing with a map board on a tree and I turned right.
It was first through green leafy forest and later through bamboo. Once in while there were amazing views.
From the turn with the map board it took me an hour to reach Shishanfenshan 十三分山 (615 meters). On the way I somehow passed 583 Peak (583 m) without noticing it. I checked the map and noticed I had passed it but did not go back.
At Shishanfenshan there was a huge clearing. There was a large group of stout, older hikers, about evenly split between men and women. They were all wearing identical bright green shirts. They were sort of giddy but a good-natured group. I like meeting people like this in Taiwan who are unashamed about having a good time.
They entertained themselves by speaking Taiwanese to me. And when they asked me Jia ba bue (Have you eaten?) and I replied Jia ba (I had eaten), (which is one of the few things I know how to say in Taiwanese that is not rude or a curse) they erupted in laughter and then posed for a group poster all saying Jia ba.
They finished up and said goodbye and I told them I would probably see them later since they were also headed to Baishishan.
As the group was leaving, the couple I had seen at Jinmianshan arrived and it we had a more quiet chat. They told me they had also passed 583 Peak and not seen it.
At the summit the path straight ahead goes to Baishishan. The right turn takes you back to the Jinmianshan loop trail. The couple was heading right and I went straight. It would take me 50 minutes to walk from here to Baishishan.
I was surprised when after 10 minutes the trail came to a paved track.
I turned right and walked into a wide open space. At the end of it there were two paths. One going straight and one slightly left.
I hesitated because this was not on my map. I took the path on the left because it had more ribbons and because it just felt right and it turned out to be the right way.
From here to Baishishan was very beautiful: more dense forest and lots of views. There were places where you could climb up the sloping rock spine of the ridge and look right down.
I came upon a group of 5 hikers. They told me one of their friends was using the "bathroom" ahead and asked me to wait a minute.
Just after I passed them I saw movement on the path. A small, brown snake flung itself down hill and then froze. It was very well camouflaged and when the group came up behind me and I pointed it out they had trouble seeing it at first. The snake obligingly stayed put while we took photos.
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I looked at https://snakesoftaiwan.com/home.html to try to identify it but my picture is not very clear. I thought it might be a Chinese Mountain Snake but since they are rare and nocturnal I'm not very confident that is what it was.
Just before reaching Baishishan there is a junction. The right side path goes to Shicuokengshan.
The big group wearing green shirts had gone there and they were just coming back. I went straight on the Baishishan and got there just before them.
At Baishishan there is an artificial concrete basin at a junction. Baishishan is straight ahead and is reached by climbing up its slanting face.
At the top there is a wide stone ridge and views in three directions. It felt great to arrive and the enthusiasm of the green shirted group was infectious. I enjoyed seeing them pose for photos on the ridge.
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| View from Baishishan looking toward Hou Cihu and Cihu |
After taking a rest I headed back to the junction with the artificial basin and went left and down. I still had about two hours to go to get back to the main road at the village of Sanceng.
The trail passes under the cliffs of Baishishan. This was another one of my favorite parts of the hike. The cliffs are dotted with pale green and white lichen and there are narrow tree roots sometimes extending from the cliff to the forest floor.
After the cliffs the trail headed down, narrow at first and later much wider. The downhill was hard on tired legs.
I came to a wooden bridge, crossed it, turned left and entered a really pretty trail beside a stream.
Once the trail left the stream there was a bit more climbing. The trail skirted a military area marked by a barbed wire fence.
I ignored side turns until I came to a boardwalk next to a concrete building.
I turned right here and went down some smooth stone steps. One of my least favorite things to walk on.
The trail passed an old stone plaque then I went up hill, past a parking area for the trail and joined a country lane.
I followed the country lane all the way to the junction with the main road that leads back to Daxi.
Around the corner there was a bus stop but no buses and I ended up walking back into town. Which took just over 30 minutes.
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Maps and GPS Coordinates:
Parking lot at the chicken restaurant: 24.867993, 121.327491
Jinmianshan: 24.866526, 121.335322
Jinshanmianshan: 24.871463, 121.326345
583 Peak: 24.858858, 121.330613
Shishanfenshan: 24.857959, 121.325406
Baishishan: 24.852632, 121.317684
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Map for the road walk to Daxi:
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