Ridge Walking and Swimming in Xizhi: Xinshan 新山 and Kezilin 柯子林

A pond, a peak with a 360 degree view, bare-rock ridges, forest and an outdoor stream-fed swimming pool.This exhilarating loop hike in the Xizhi district of New Taipei City is not a bad way to spend a half-day. The rocky ridge route to 499 meter Xinshan never disappoints and the route to Kezilin, considering it is a lesser-popular route, is also surprisingly exciting and well-maintained, with lots more exposed rock and fun, rocky scrambles. Eventually the trail drops into forest and crosses two streams before ending near Kezilin. There are expansive views throughout the hike and for a perfect ending, you can cool off at the Kezelin pool.

Distance/duration: 5 hours 27 mins / 8.8 km. 

More details as well as a map can be found here on my ramblr account. 

Trail Overview:  I have hiked Xinshan several times and had just been there in June of 2025. It's such a great hike that I wanted to do it again but this time finish by way of the trail to Kezelin which I had never explored--ending at an outdoor swimming area. 

The route we walked started with a road walk in the village of Hong Nei, led to Dream Lake (Meng Hu) and then climbed to Xinshan (499 m) by way of the East Crest route. After that, instead of returning to Dream Lake, as I have in the past, we took the fork trail down to Kezilin. 

The trail to Kezilin exceeded my expectations! It was similar to the East Ridge route, following a ridge with lots of exposed rock and incredible views. There were a surprising number of pine trees given the elevation. The trail was sometimes carpeted with springy pine needles. We were often near a sheer drop but it never felt risky. The stone was dry, textured and grippy and there were thick fixed ropes bolted into the rock. Later the trail dropped into forest and crossed two streams. The second stream might be difficult to cross after heavy rain but it was mostly dry when we were there. 

Near the end we stopped at the Kezlin Swimming Pool. It's a long narrow pool created by damming the stream. It is 3 meters deep near the end but shallower towards the middle and top. There is a simple changing room.  At the end we walked on the road for 2km back to the bus stop in Hongnei. 

Meng Hu or Dream Lake is a calm, medium-sized body of water surrounded by steep green hills. Many people come just to visit the lake. There is a trail all the way around and there are tables and seats and a shelter house. There used to be a cafe. It is now closed but hikers still use the tables of the former cafe.  It had not rained for a long time and on this visit the water level was lower than I have ever seen it. 

Xinshan (499 m) is a rocky peak with a sweeping view. There are two ways to the peak but the easier and shorter way cuts out some of the most fun and beautiful parts of the hike. We took the longer and slightly harder "East Crest" route which follows a rocky ridge with lots of great views and then joins up with the shorter route. 

The East Crest trail starts at the lower end of a rocky ridge and climbs all the way to Xinshan with the view getting progressively better. Taipei can be seen on one side and on the other: the ocean, Keelung Island and the distinctive pyramid shape of Keelung Mountain. The path is exciting and close to an edge but safe in good weather. It's fun and not too hard even for inexperienced hikers. 

This post continues my love affair with hiking in Xizhi. This is the fifth in a series of posts exploring hikes around Xizhi. The other four are:  

Xizhi Gongbeidian 汐止拱北殿, and Beigang Hill 北港山 

Neigoushan 內溝山 , Cuei Lake 翠湖, and Laojiujian 老鷲尖  

Dream Lake 夢湖 and Mt. Xin 新山  

Xiufeng Waterfall, Dajianshan, Sifenweishan and Qiedong Waterfall   

What to bring:   We took snacks, lunch and plenty of water. Sun protection is important. 

Get anything you need before leaving Xizhi station. There are no stores except for a very small shop with a few drinks near the parking area for the lake.

Transportation:  We took a train from Taipei Main Station to Xizhi. It takes less than 20 minutes.

At Xizhi station, we exited through the main hall by way of the Xinyi Road exit and crossed to the row of bus stops across the street from the station. We took bus 587 at 8:00 am to the Hongnei bus stop. Be sure not to get off at the Hongnei Police Station stop. 

I purposely got to Xizhi early because the last time I took this bus, there was a long queue and we barely squeezed on. However, this time there were empty seats. 

For the most up to date information you can check the BusTracker Taiwan app but at the time of this writing the bus comes at 7:30, 8:00 and 10:30 on the weekends. There are later buses and it comes more frequently during the week. 

At the end of the hike we took the 587 around 2:00 from the same bus stop. 

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The Hike

Since I have described the route to Xinshan and back to Dream Lake in another post I will just write a minimal description here. For a more thorough summary of that route, see my earlier post Dream Lake 夢湖 and Mt. Xin 新山  .

The bus dropped my wife and I off at 8:20 am. Just before reaching the bus stop the bus makes a right turn. We walked back to the intersection and turned right and uphill on Xiwan Road, Section 3. The walk to Dream Lake is a little over 3 km on the road--uphill-- and takes about an hour. 

In just 500 meters we reached Menghu road and turned right again. It is clearly signposted. 

Straight to Kezilin, right to Dream Lake (Meng Hu)

The road is mostly shady and surrounded by greenery and there was very little traffic. We followed the road until we came to a T-intersection and turned left. Again there was a clear sign showing the direction. 

 We reached the main entrance for Dream Lake and followed stone steps to the lake. Just before reaching the lake we passed the uphill trail that we would later take to the peak. 

I have visited Dream Lake a number of times and had never seen it so dry. The water level was shockingly low which was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. As I write this a typhoon has just passed by. As it was raining over the last two days, I imagined the lake, out there, filling up again and being restored to its former beauty. 

We backtracked to the trail to Xinshan and started uphill. At the first fork we turned right for the East Crest trail. Going straight is the more direct route to the top but it is less interesting. 

The right fork leads to the East Crest route

 After that we turned left almost right away and followed a wide trail to a viewpoint. Just before the viewpoint there is a steep trail with ropes on the left that climbs up to the ridge. 

Every time I do this hike I kind of lose track of time at this point because the ridge trail is so much fun. There are lots of rocky view points. It's totally unnecessary to climb most of them but its so much fun that I can never resist. On this trip there was a big hiking group in matching shirts strung out along the ridge. They were having such a good time that their excitement was infectious. After we had moved on to the summit they were still on the ridge taking pictures. 

A hiker posing on top of King Kong Rock. 

The trail runs to the side of these rocky viewpoints

Summit of Xinshan seen from the ridge

 After the last viewpoint on the ridge the trail drops down and comes to an intersection where the easier trail and the East Crest route trail join up. We turned right and then very soon, turned left, going up a steep trail. 

The trail to the summit is covered with exposed roots and is rocky and steep but it's not far to the top. 

We came out onto the bare rocky summit and enjoyed the view for a while. It was cloudy and windy and very pleasant. The last time I had been there it had been blazing hot and we weren't able to stay for long. 

 When it was time to go we took the trail on the far side of the summit. The trail descends into the trees and in just a few meters comes to a junction. We took the right fork which at first climbed up along the side of the rocky ridge. (The left fork descends back to Dream Lake).

Soon after this we came to another junction. It doesn't matter which way you go since both ways soon join up again, but we took the side closest to the ridge. We went along more rock and then dropped into forest. 
 

I had expected this trail to follow the ridge for a short distance and then drop into the forest for the rest of it's length. But in fact we were treated to quite a few more sections of exposed rock with stunning views. We now were heading down the ridge. It took about an hour and a half to walk from the summit to the swimming pool at Kezelin.

You can't really go wrong from here, as there is only one fork along the way. I enjoyed this trail just as much as the one to Xinshan even though it is far less popular. We saw only three other (human) hikers. A man who was with his dog was doing trail maintenance and we passed a couple going the opposite way. 

 

 

We came to a huge boulder with ropes leading to the top. The trail went under the side of it so this was another totally unnecessary but fun scramble. The view from the top was worth it. 

 

 After the huge boulder we pretty much left the ridge behind and entered deep forest. The trail was not difficult but it was slow going. It was consistently downhill and we had to watch our step. 

We crossed a small stream and then the larger Bei Gang Stream.
 

At a junction we turned left. It was signposted "Kezilin Trail Entrance." We followed a wide path for just a short distance to the Kezilin Swimming Pool. 

Just before we reached the pool I noticed a small snake by the side of the path. It was making it's get away, climbing up the side of the steep path. 

We sat and had some lunch. I went for a swim but my wife didn't since she had not brought a change of clothes. After a while we checked the BusTracker app and decided to head back to the bus stop in Hong Nei. 

Leaving the pool we turned left and followed a gravel track out to the road. At the road we went left, uphill at first, but later downhill. It was 2 kilometers back to Hong Nei. 

 

Nearby hikes:

 

Xiufeng Waterfall, Dajianshan, Sifenweishan and Qiedong Waterfall  

 

Neigoushan 內溝山 , Cuei Lake 翠湖, and Laojiujian 老鷲尖  

 

Xizhi Gongbeidian 汐止拱北殿, and Beigang Hill 北港山 

  

Yuemei Cave Trail 月眉洞步道 and Xian Dong Hu Shan 仙洞湖山 Loop Hike 

 

Dream Lake 夢湖 and Mt. Xin 新山 

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Hongnei: 25.104564, 121.644172

Dream Lake: 25.127912, 121.636013, Google maps link

Xinshan: 25.129936, 121.63332, Google maps link

Kezilin Swimming Pool: 25.116567, 121.631598, Google maps link

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Aroukeng Stream Valley Bike and Hike: Wangjunliao Waterfall and Arou Pool

 

A trip to two secluded spots, both just a short walk from the road, on the Aroukeng Stream and the Wangjunliao Stream which flow down from the hills near the village of Shengkeng. Wangjunliao Waterfall, though tall, is not that impressive when the water level is low. However, it is in a nice, wooded defile where you can hear only the sounds of the water and the forest. Arou Pool is a shady, tranquil spot to cool off on a hot day. There is a deep swimming hole but also shallower pools for soaking.  

Distance/duration:  My recorded track for this trip is not right because I got on the bus to go back to Taipei and only remembered to stop the app a few bus stops later. 

My best guess is that this was 9.5km/ about 2.5 hours. Almost all of it was biking and just a short part walking. 

More details as well as a map can be found here on my ramblr account. 

Trail Overview:  Shengkeng is famous for it's stinky tofu and its old street draws lots of visitors. Personally, I'm much more likely to pass through the town quickly in order to head for the hills surrounding the town. Other attractions in the area include the White Horse General Cave, Four Dragon's Waterfall and Monkey Mountain and the old Lin family rammed earth cottage.

I consider this an easy to moderate trip. It would be very easy if you drove a car or rode a scooter. I don't have a car or scooter so I rode a YouBike. I usually prefer walking but it was a very hot day for walking on the road and I was more pressed for time than usual. 

I went to the waterfall first. It was a tough ride uphill, especially on a YouBike with only 3 gears. Sometimes (okay, often) I had to walk the bike. On the way back down it was almost effortless. I just hoped the YouBike mechanic had done a good job on the brakes. 

The trail to the waterfall is not long but it is rough. I guess it does not get a great deal of visitors. I had to watch out for holes between the rocks. After rain it would be very slippery but it was dry when I was there. 

The path to Arou Pool is really just about 1 or 2 minutes from the road. The only challenge is finding it. I went by it twice before I saw it. It is just next to utility pole number 21. It would be a great spot for a picnic or barbecue. A sign on the pole in Chinese reminds visitors not to leave trash. I visited on a Thursday afternoon and there was one man who came for a swim and a dad with two kids.  On the weekends it might be more crowded. The water was flowing gently and there were small fish in the pools. Watch out for slippery rocks. A note on the name: in Chinese it is called Arou "pond" but I refer to it as a "pool" which seems to me to describe it more accurately. 

Arou Pool is a good spot for families, however, the trail to the waterfall is not really suitable for young children. 

What to bring:  I packed water and and picked up a snack at the store in Shengkeng. Sun protection is important on the road.  

Transportation: I took the MRT to Muzha station and then took bus 660 to Shenkeng. The bus takes about 15 minutes or less. Several other buses also go to Shengkeng including: 666, 795, 819 and 679.

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The Trip

I usually go hiking on weekend mornings but this time I was free on a Thursday afternoon. I started biking about 2:30 pm. I got off at the Shengkeng bus stop which is right next to a convenience store. I went in and bought a beer and asked the clerk where the YouBike station was. I had a pretty good idea because I had already looked at the map but it's always good to check. She told me my Chinese was very good which is always gratifying even though it is not true. 

The YouBike station is at the far end of the old street in the Shengkeng Children's Park. Here is the Google Maps link.

 

I got a bike and rode back toward the old street. Looking to the left (south) I could see Pingbu Bridge which passes over the wide Jingmei River.

I rode to the corner where I came to a wide, busy road and turned right. 

I rode just one block until I saw the CPC filling station.

I crossed the road and entered smaller and much more peaceful, Arouyang Industry Road. At the road entrance there was map board and a sign saying Arouyang Bike Path.

 

In the beginning the road was uphill but not too bad for cycling. I passed a shelter house that overlooked a concrete pool. This has the grand name of Aroukeng Stream Waterfront Park and is another place for cooling off on a hot day. 

On the other side of the road was a small temple.

The country road was mostly surrounded by green trees and there were some nice views looking back down toward Shengkeng but I passed a few ugly factories. One had a terrible smell and there were piles of trash in front of it near the road. Eventually the road was so steep I often had to walk the bike. The temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius, it felt very hot in the sun and my hands were slick with sweat. It took a little less than an hour to get to the trailhead for Wangjunliao Waterfall. The trail from the road to the waterfall is less than 200 meters. 

 

The trail is in the bend of a hairpin curve and the entrance is obvious.  

I locked the bike, took my hiking pole off my backpack and set out. I had read in Richard Saunder's Taipei Escapes 1 that the trail to the waterfall was rough and so was pleased to see this wide, easy path. But it was misleading. It led to a cultivated bamboo grove. There was a farmer, wearing safety glasses and a protective apron, trimming weeds with a weed eater. I asked him if there was a waterfall there. He gestured toward a narrower trail and said it was "Bu hao zuo." (Not easy to walk). 

From that point the path was narrow and there were mid-sized jumbled rocks with plants growing between. It was dim in the forest. I had to step on and between the rocks and watch out for holes or places where I could not see clearly. There were also irrigation tubes cutting across the path. It wasn't too bad but I could see it would be much worse after rain. 

The path crossed the stream below the waterfall where there was a stagnant, slightly scummy pool. 

 I was disappointed because at first I thought it was the waterfall, but then I noticed and followed a trail up the other bank which climbed among large boulders. 

I didn't see a path all the way up to the falls but I climbed onto a huge, flat boulder that was right in the middle of the stream. I was kind of hungry so I sat and stood on the boulder and had a snack and some water and listened to the water flowing around me and the birds and the wind in the trees and watched the plants and trees around the waterfall waving in the wind created by the falling water and took some photos and video. I don't really know how long I stayed. I was reluctant to leave but I still had one more place to visit and didn't want to get back to Taipei too late. 

The walk back to the bike seemed to take less time and gliding downhill was a breeze. 

I passed the trail to Arou Pool, checked the map and backtracked, overshot it, checked the map and backtracked again. I don't know how I missed it twice (three times if you include on the way up to the waterfall) because as soon as I saw it, it was clear. It was not marked by flags but there was a clear trail next to utility pole 21 and a sign on the pole. I left the bike next to the road and went down. 

 

Upstream there was a waist deep pool, downstream, below a small waterfall, was a deep pool. The easiest way to descend to the pool is on the far side across the top of the falls. Some of the submerged rocks are very slippery.  

It had been hot on the way to the waterfall but I had been cooled by the breeze riding downhill and under the trees next to the water, it was completely comfortable. It was clean but someone had left a small grill with some charcoal. At first I was the only one there but later a dad with two young children, a boy and a girl, came. The girl slipped on a rock and fell in the water and got her dress wet but she was not hurt. A little while later a man came, stripped to his underwear, swam in the lower pool and then sat by the water smoking a cigarette.  I went upstream and sat up to my neck in the cool water for a while and sluiced some water over my head. 

I decided to try to get back to Taipei before the evening rush got too bad. Riding the rest of the way downhill was easy. I returned the bike and caught a bus back to Muzha.  

Further information: 

Here is a video by Tony Huang about Arou Pool

Nearby hikes: 

White Horse General Cave 白馬將軍洞, White Horse General Cave Giant Rock, and Black Moon Mountain 烏月山  

Four Dragons Waterfall 炮仔崙瀑布(四龍瀑布)  

Monkey Mountain 猴山岳, the Lin Family Cottage and Four Dragons Waterfall 四龍瀑布  

Monkey Mountain 猴山岳 Sunset Hike   

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Wangjunliao Waterfall: 24.981571, 121.618258, The waterfall is not on Google Maps but it is near here

Arou Pool: 24.986444, 121.622553, Google Maps link 

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