Taiwan Hiking Journal: March 2024

This alternative route to Guanyinshan starts with a Ubike ride along the Tamsui River and over the distinctive, red Guandu Bridge. After a walk on a country road, it joins the steps to Mt. Jian (380 m). Then it climbs to Guanyinshan (616 m) by a less-traveled, rough, dirt path. On the way down it passes Yingzai Peak (434 m) and Chaoyin Cave-- an interesting cave that contains a small temple, and in wet conditions, a channel of water fed by a waterfall from above. At Jianshan there is a nice viewing platform but the best view by far is from Guanyinshan from which the whole landscape is spread before you-- south along the Tamsui River and north all the way to where the river meets the ocean.

Distance/Time: 19.3 km/ 6 hours 29 mins. A map as well as more details can be found here

What to bring: I took snacks, a hiking pole and two bottles of water. There are shops near Guandu MRT station and a supermarket near the drop off point for the Ubike so it's possible to stock up on provisions along the way.

The Trail: Guanyinshan, a dormant volcano, gets it's name because it is thought to resemble the profile of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, lying on her back. From certain perspectives the resemblance is distinct. There are considered to be up to 18 peaks in the Guanyinshan scenic area. Some of the peaks are known by more than one name.

Officially it is part of the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic area which includes Yeliu, Jinshan and Cape Fugui but the Guanyinshan area is distinct both geographically and in terms of it's landscape. Guanyinshan is in the Wugu District of New Taipei City.

Even though it is just across the river, it is also very different from Yangmingshan National Park. In Guanyinshan you are much more likely to see improvised exercise or rest areas fashioned by locals from scavenged local materials. The lower slopes are dotted with graveyards.

The area is criss-crossed with trails. The main trails are stone with lots of steps but there are many dirt trails as well.

This a strenuous hike. It is not too hard but it is long and most of the trails are steep. The trail to Jianshan (also called Jhanshan) is up very steep steps and some of the steps are quite high. The path I took to and from Guanyinshan (also known as Yinghanling or "Tough Guy Peak") is dirt with many fixed ropes. It gets much more steep near the peak. It became known as Tough Guy Peak when it was used to train military police in the 1960s. Guanyinshan is number 5 on the list of Taiwan's 100 small mountains (Xiao Bai Yue 小百岳).

There is a very nice viewing platform with a shelter and benches near Jianshan and the view from Guanyinshan is amazing on a clear day. Looking south you can see the river, Guandu Bridge and parts of Beitou. Looking north there is Bali, Tamsui, Shalun Beach and the river meeting the ocean.

Transportation: I took the MRT to Guandu Station, borrowed a Ubike from near the station and dropped it off at a station on the other side of the river.

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The hike: At Guandu MRT station I took exit 1 and turned right into an alley. I think there is a Ubike station near the MRT as well but it was a chilly morning and I decided to walk to Guandu temple first to warm up. To get to the temple I just followed the red lanterns and arrived at the temple complex in about 15 minutes.

The temple is well-worth exploring but I had been there before and had a long way to go so I went directly to the Ubike station in the plaza in front of the temple-- which is reached by following the road between the temple and a marina.

Next to the plaza there is a Ubike station, toilets and vendors

I rode the bike north along the river. When I reached the bridge I took the second bike lane going over the bridge. Of course, either one will get you across but the second comes out on the north side which is the way I wanted to go.

On the other side of the river I continued north. About 900 meters north of the bridge I turned left into an alley that leads uphill to a busy road. It's the first turn just past a looming apartment building with a green lawn that extends almost to the bike path.

Where the alley meets the road, looking to the left, I could see a PX Mart and a Poya across the street and the sign for Longxing 1st Street. Past the shops there was a parking lot and behind a bus shelter there was a small, trash strewn Ubike station which is where I dropped off the bike. The bus stop is Dafu Community station. It took me thirty minutes to ride the bike from Guandu to this point. Here is the Google Maps link for the Ubike station

I started walking up Longxing 1st Street which runs between the shops and the parking lot. I passed a park, apartment buildings and shops. There were several breakfast shops.

Soon I passed through an ugly industrial area. I heard John Denver's Country Roads coming from a warehouse. There wasn't much activity here on a Sunday morning. It was the sort of place where I expected vicious dogs might spring out at any moment but luckily I didn't encounter any.

I continued on the same street heading toward low hills. Later Longxing 1st street turned into Ding Liao 2nd Street but really I just stayed on the same road.

Stay on the same road as it turns into Ding Liao 2nd Street

When I came to a Y-shaped fork, I kept to the left, passing a rusting shipping container. After this the road become more of a provincial, mountain road and started climbing.

keep to the left at the Y-shaped fork

I came to another crossroad but the way forward was the most obvious, still on the main road, curving to the right past a row of traditional houses. Incongruously, there was a basketball hoop like one you might see in an American driveway in front of one of the houses. A couple were feeding some cats in the road and here there was a dog, but it was old and timid and averted it eyes as I got closer.

I kept straight on this road for about another 8 minutes and then came to the short cut to the Jianshan trail. The short cut is uphill through a graveyard. There are no obvious landmarks but on the downhill side there is a metal shed with a blue garage door. The trail is just before utility pole 36. I took me 40 minutes to walk from the Ubike station to this point.

If you pass utility pole 36 you have gone too far

The trail was faint and about half way up the slope of the graveyard, I started to think that there wasn't a trail. But then I spotted some old hiking flags in trees. Keeping at first to the middle and later to the left, I reached a narrow wooded path near the top left corner of the cemetery, passed some large trees with red ribbons tied around them and came to the steps for Jianshan.

It was a little less than twenty minutes to the top of Jianshan (380 m) but it was very steep with lots of steps and some of them were very deep, requiring me to take very big strides. It definitely got my heart-rate going.

At the top there is a shelter house. A short path to the right leads to a viewing platform with benches. It looked like a really nice spot but it was cold and hazy and there was a biting wind so I did not stay long.

I continued down the other side of the summit. The path leveled off and then started climbing again. I went over two small summits marked by hand-lettered signs.

I came to twin dirt paths on the right. Both led to Guanyinshan. A hiker I spoke to told me that the first one is longer but more level and the second one is shorter but steeper. I took the first one.

I really enjoyed this path. It was a narrow, stony path through the forest with a hill on the left and some views on the right. It grew steeper near the top and there were lots of fixed ropes. I ran into several groups of elementary age children coming the opposite way with their adult chaperones. I was glad to see them out hiking and they were unfailingly polite--making room for me to pass and saying Gege hao (Hello, big brother) which I thought was very kind of them because I'm definitely in shu shu (uncle) territory.

young hikers on the trail

The view at the summit was really amazing. It is a shame that it was a hazy day and not a very good day for pictures. I could see Guandu Bridge, where I had come from earlier, Miantianshan and Datunshan across the river, Fisherman's wharf in Tamsui and Shalun Beach beyond Tamsui.

I sat and had a bite to eat. Several people came and went at the summit but I didn't talk to anyone. Most people were coming up by the most popular route which is mostly a stone path with lots of steps. After a while, I headed down on the same dirt path I had taken on the way up.

When I got back to the stone path I turned right.

In a few minutes I came to an intersection.

The path on the left leads to Yingzai Peak. I could have gone straight first to see Ling Yun Temple and I sort of wish that I had but it is about 1 km there and back, downhill and back up and I had something to do later in the evening. So I turned left and followed the stone path to Yingzai Peak (434 m). There is no view at Yingzai peak but there is a nice circular shelter with benches.

I walked till the stone path ended and continued, descending by a dirt path, sometimes with dirt steps cut into the hillside.

end of the stone path

I ignored the first path joining from the left and then when I came to a sort of T-intersection I turned left, climbed up a small hill with car tires fashioned into steps and emerged on a road near the cave.

left at this T-intersection

At the end of the road I could see the entrance to Chaoyin Cave. It's a remarkable location that I think is well-worth going out of the way to see. It is a narrow cleft between rock walls flecked with green near the top. There is a waterfall above which flows into the cave but it was dry on this visit. It is not a true cave since there is a thin opening along the top. There is a temple inside.

On the way out of the cave I talked to some friendly old men lounging in a rest area. They offered me tea but I declined, then they insisted I take some puffed rice snacks which I accepted.

I went to the parking lot below the cave and then down a straight road.