Keelung Mountain 基隆山, Keelung Mountain East Peak 基隆山東峰 and the Shanjian Road Trail 山尖路步道

 

Looking toward Keelung Shan from near Keelung Shan East Peak

Astonishing scenery from atop a coastal ridge: ocean and mountain views and hillsides covered in waving silver grass. This exhilarating hike near Jiufen is suitable for experienced hikers. I walked a circular route starting with a climb to Keelung Shan (588 m), followed a slippery ridge to the steep, rugged pinnacle of Keelung Shan East Peak (467 m) and then descended a precipitous trail to Shuinandong, visiting the Huangjin (Golden) Waterfall 黃金瀑布 before taking Shanjian Road Trail back to the starting point.

The trail to Keelung Shan East Peak

Distance/Time: 5.8 km/ 4 hours 53 mins.  More details as well as a map can be found here

What to bring:  Bring sufficient water as there is nowhere to refill on the hike. Long pants are recommended. A hiking pole really helped me to keep my footing on the numerous steep, slippery sections. I don't usually use them but gloves might be a good idea as well.

The Trail:   

Keelungshan is an easy and popular hike and suitable for anyone reasonably fit. It's a pleasant walk to the top with nice views along the way and from the top. 

However, the East Peak is tough. It is very steep and was extremely slippery when I was there. A sign that is posted in front of the trail on top of Keelung Shan reads "This area is dangerous. Watch out for your safety." Which pretty much sums it up. 

I don't mean to exaggerate because I walked it without incident, (though sometimes instead of walking, I was scooting, sliding or rappelling), but I would not recommend this hike to anyone who has not had experience on some of Taiwan's rougher trails. 

The final descent from Keeling Shan East Peak to Shuinandong was sheer, relentless and a little scary.  However, if you are cautious it is well worth the effort because the scenery even on a grey, overcast day was magnificent and it was a lot of fun. 

From talking to people I met on the trail, it seems that most hikers do this the opposite way which is probably a good idea. The hikers I talked to said it was easier to go up the steepest parts than to go down which I usually find to be true.

The trail to Keelungshan is on stone steps and a dirt path. The path to Keelungshan East Peak is slippery mud and occasionally close to an edge. It descends from Keelungshan, goes over a hump, descends again and then climbs to the top of the east peak for a 360 degree view. There are lots of ropes on this path as well as on the descent to Shuinandong. Normally, the ropes are a welcome aid but on parts of this trail I don't think I could have done without them. Some sections descend rock faces that, if not 90 degrees, are very close to it. I recommend avoiding this trail after or during rain.

At Shuinandong you can see the former Shuinandong Smelter situated on a hill and visit Huangjin Waterfall (Golden Waterfall), a wide waterfall with rivulets of white water meandering over stones stained copper from ore deposits. The waterfall is beside a road and a popular spot.  Tea Pot Mountain can also be seen from here and several points during the hike.

The Shanjian Road Trail is a set of well-maintained steps that wend through a neighborhood and ascend back to Jiufen. Initially it's hard to find the way to the trail through the dense neighborhood so a map app would be helpful but once you reach the steps it's easy to follow.

Transportation:  I took bus 965 from Ximen MRT Station. The bus stop which is at exit 2, is past the first two bus shelters and past the next intersection. At first I went to the first bus stop and had to rush when I saw the bus pulling up on the other side of the next intersection. The bus runs about every 30 to 40 minutes and takes about 50 minutes to reach Jiufen.

In Jiufen I got off at the Geding bus stop which is the first stop after passing Jiufen Old Street. The Shanjian Road Trail is directly beside the bus shelter on the opposite side of the street and the Keelung Mountain Trail is just a few minutes up the road.

On the way back I took bus 965 from the Geding stop to Beimen Station in Taipei. (It does not stop at Beimen on the way to Jiufen). Bus 1062 also goes to to Taipei or you can take bus to Ruifang Station and then a train back to Taipei. 

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The hike:  I set out on New Years Day and got a little bit of a late start because I was feeling lazy after staying up late on New Year's Eve.  The weather was overcast and cool but stable.  

I didn't know much about this trail before I went and so, by chance, discovered a really amazing hike. In December 2023, I had hiked the Xiaocukeng Historic Trail 小粗坑古道 from Houtong to Jiufen. On that day, I had also planned to hike Keelung Mountain but because it was cold and raining hard, I cut the hike short after arriving in Jiufen. Then as I was thinking of going back to Keelung Shan and looking at the map and realized I could do some more exploring and make it a longer hike.

I got off at the Geding bus stop. It was colder than I had expected in Jiufen and windy. I put on a long-sleeved shirt over a T-shirt and wore a down vest. I started hiking at about 9:30 am. 

A set of stairs going down, just next to the bus shelter on the opposite side of the road, is the Shanjian Road Trail. The trailhead for Keelung Shan is just a few minutes further up the road-- back in the direction of Jiufen Old Street. 

I walked to the trailhead for Keelungshan. Going up the stairs, I could already see the hump of Keelung Shan straight ahead but soon I turned onto the second dirt trail on the left.

I turned left here. The second left.

The trail on the left is more indirect but it passes through pleasant woodland and is more scenic. There were dirt sections and a few stone steps. I warmed up and started shedding layers.

The trail went around the side of the hill and passed a large, flat panel that I think is a radio tower. (There are two huge, prominent ones on top of Miantianshan in Yangmingshan National Park). I saw a dead mole next to the trail. 

After this the path started to climb and looking back there were nice views. 

 

I came to a junction and rejoined the steps, passed a shelter house (from which there was a view of Jiufen) and arrived at the summit about 50 minutes after I had started hiking. The summit is wide and flat and there are good views on all sides. There is a huge antenna on one corner. 

There were two ladies at the summit who were taking pictures with the summit plaque. Most hikers just come to Keelungshan and then go back down to Jiufen. After taking pictures the ladies headed down and a couple with two very well-behaved chocolate Labradors joined me.

After a few minutes, I took the trail to the east peak which is just beyond a warning sign on the coastal side of the summit. 

From here there is only one way to go: along the ridge. The path was clear but muddy and slippery and sometimes steep. Ahead, I could see two humps on the ridge. The second one is Keelungshan East Peak. 

I went through a saddle where there was tree cover and the path was gentler and over the first hump.

 

I met a man hiking by himself coming from the east peak. He was the first of three people I met who would all warn me about the steep descent which I have to admit stirred in me a little trepidation about what was coming. He told me I was younger than him and that it probably shouldn't be a problem for me but just to be careful.

I went through a similar saddle on the other side. Just before heading up, there was a trail descending on the right but I kept on straight. 

A trail led down on the right in the saddle but I went straight up to the east peak

Just as I was climbing up from the second saddle, I met a couple coming down. I asked them about the trail ahead and they again told me to be careful going down.  

I arrived at the small, flat summit of Keelungshan East Peak (467 m) with it's 360 degree view about an hour after leaving Keelungshan.  

Keelungshan East Peak

From here it would take an hour and a half to descend to Shuinandong. At first the path was high on the hills and relatively flat. I met a young solo hiker, wearing a helmet who had just come up.

Once the descent properly began it required all of my attention and all four limbs. There were muddy, slippery parts and some rocky parts where I had to squeeze between rocks or slide down rock faces using ropes and footholds. There were lots of ropes. It was challenging and fun but I had to be careful. Stupidly, I had not told anyone exactly where I was going.

There was one point where the trail seemed to go both left and right. I took a look at the right fork but it followed a narrow ledge of rock that went along a wall of more bare rock with only a thin rope to hold onto. I think it must have led to a viewpoint. I went back and took the left fork which was much safer. After the fork, there was one more rocky descent and then it finally leveled off for about the last 200 meters. 

 

I came to a place where I could see farm houses on either side. For a moment I was confused about which way to go. I started toward the farmhouse on the left because there were some trail flags in that direction. 

I stepped on something squishy and looked down to see I had stepped in dog shit. Ahead, I saw a black dog looking at me, motionless and almost invisible behind a stone dog house. It was chained to an overhead runner chain. I think this smart dog was just waiting for me to get close enough that he could lunge at me. So I went back and realized that the route went along the top of a low stone wall, after which it went between the houses and down to the road. 

 Next I walked to the Golden Waterfall. I turned left on the road and then took a sharp right. 

There were several turns here but the waterfall can be seen in the distance, so it's not too hard to find the way. 

I went down steps a short distance.
 

Then turned right passing houses and the abandoned shell of a building full of weeds.

At the next left after the abandoned building I turned left down steps and came to a road.

I turned right on the road and walked with a stream on my left. At the next big intersection I turned left and crossed a bridge over the stream. 

From here it was a short walk along a scenic road to the Golden Waterfall. There were quite a few day trippers taking pictures in front of it.

 

I walked back the way I had come. I could see the triangular massif of Keelungshan East Peak at the end of the road. 

 I crossed the bridge, went back to the intersection and turned left. It was nice to stretch my legs and walk on the road and even here the scenery was wild and rugged. 

In 460 meters I came to a fork. I turned left which was marked with a fingerpost that said "The Slow Lane."

After just 200 more meters I turned right over a bridge. A sign pointed to a hotel called Adagio.  

On the other side of the bridge I went up steps. This was the lower part of the Shanjian Road Trail.

The trail came out to a street and a little triangle park with a table and stools, but I just followed the finger posts and was soon back on the trail. 

When the trail came to a road the second time, I turned left on Shanjian Road and walked for a short way until I came to a stream. I stopped to wash my soiled shoe thoroughly in the stream and then went up the steps next to the stream. 

In about 15 more minutes --and less than an hour after leaving the waterfall-- I came out next to the Geding bus stop where I had started. 

Other hikes nearby: Xiaocukeng Historic Trail 小粗坑古道: Houtong to Jiufen

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Shanjian Road Trailhead at Geding bus stop (the top): 25.112002, 121.848003 

Google maps link

Keelung Mountain Trailhead: 25.111728, 121, 847478

Google maps link

Keelung Mountain East Peak Trailhead near Shuinandong (if starting the walk with the east peak): 25.120316, 121.860592

Huangjin (Golden) Waterfall: 25.117106, 121.861384

Google maps link

http://rblr.co/onboU

 

Xiaocukeng Historic Trail 小粗坑古道: Houtong to Jiufen

 

This relatively short walk in the Ruifang District starts in the village of Houtong and leads to Jiufen. It passes through the abandoned mining village of Xiaocukeng where there are numerous ruins of old houses. A short side trail leads to the mouth of an abandoned mine and Yinsi Waterfall. There should be nice views but on both times that I have visited it was so misty that I saw nothing at all. The trail is a sort of back door to Jiufen emerging at Songde Park. If you start early you can avoid the worst of the crowds at Jiufen and be back on a bus to Taipei by or before lunch time. 

Distance/Time: 5.3 km/ 2 h 52 min. It rained a lot and the trail was slippery so I took my time. On a fine day, I probably would have finished sooner.

More details as well as a map can be found here

What to bring:  Nothing special is needed. It is a short walk and there are stores in Jiufen so no need to carry much water or food.

The Trail: This is a moderate hike. It climbs up to a ridge and then down the other side. There are a lot of stone steps but they were not too slippery even in the rain.  Nevertheless, I was careful, especially since I was by myself.  There are also gravel and dirt sections and some wooden steps. The path is mostly wide and easy to follow and there are wooden finger posts. The side trail to the waterfall is more narrow and crosses a steep gully. 

The trail passes through the village of Xiaocukeng. The village is abandoned and most of the old stone houses are crumbling but at least two structures still seem to be occupied. There is even the remnant of an old elementary school. I imagined what it would have been like for the miners and their families living here, with the only way out a hike along the trail.

Yinsi Waterfall was a trickle the last time I was here but in heavy rain it was frothy and swift.

Jiufen is a scenic town with, narrow twisting streets, houses that cling to the hillsides, plenty of eateries and pleasant views but I have no tolerance for the crowds that descend every weekend and I'm not that interested in shopping, so I passed through quickly. I once spent a night here in a home stay with my family and it is an experience I highly recommend. Jiufen is a wonderful place at night once the crowds have gone home.

Transportation:  I took a train from Taipei Main Station to Houtong Station which took just over an hour. The trains run about every half an hour. I only had to wait ten minutes once I got to the station.

I like to take a book for a train journey. On the train I was reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half a Yellow Sun, a novel set around the time of the 1967-70 Nigerian Civil War.

On the way back I took bus 965 from Jiufen to Beimen Station in Taipei. Bus 1062 also goes to to Taipei or you can take bus to Ruifang Station and then a train back to Taipei. 

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The hike: I had expected some light rain but as the train got closer to Houtong I could see that it was raining steadily. At the station I walked down to the ground level and exited the station. I started hiking at 9:00.

I turned left and walked between the river and the tracks until I came to a bridge. At the bridge I crossed and then turned left again following a smaller lane. 

I reflected on how different it was from the the last time I had been here. On that day, it had been a warm, sunny day and the local residents had been drying blankets and laundry outside. 

When the road split I stayed to the right, still following the lane. 

I soon passed the turn for the Jinzibei Historic Trail which I had hiked the last time I came here but I continued straight. 

It took me 25 minutes to reach the turn for the Xiaocukeng Historic Trail. There was a lane heading uphill on the right and the trail was clearly indicated by a finger post. 

 

As I walked up the road, I entered the tree cover. The black road was scattered with yellow leaves. The road curved to the left and came to the trail head.
 

There was a sign warning hikers to be vigilant for Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) or as they are called in Chinese, tiger head hornets. Tiger head hornets are territorial and aggressive and are most active in the fall. Some hikers have been injured from falling while trying to get away or had an allergic reaction. In 2023 there were several attacks including at least two in Ruifang District in September. In one of the attacks two hikers died. Here is a link to the article about one of the incidents in Ruifang.

It is advised that if you encounter them you should cover your head, crouch low and leave the area. I've also heard that you should not swat at them. 

I started up stone steps and soon came to a Tudigong (Earth god) shrine. 

I met a woman coming down the steps. She was the only other hiker who I would see all day. I asked if she had come from Jiufen but she was just out for a short stroll. 

The trail descended for a while and I came to this beautiful stream crossing. 

Crossing a small, swift stream on the Xiaocukeng Historic Trail

For a while I climbed ancient looking stone steps, between stone walls covered in moss and vines and ferns. My rain coat kept the rain out but I got so warm that I was sweating inside and my shirt was getting wet anyway.
 

 I came to a crossroads at 10:00, an hour after I had started walking. The left turn is supposed to lead to a viewpoint, but since it was rainy and overcast I didn't even bothering going to see it. On the right was a well-maintained house but it was closed up and there was no sign of any occupants. 

Just past the crossroads I came to the first ruins. 

stone ruins in the abandoned village of Xiaocukeng

Then I came to steps leading up to a locked gate and another well maintained residence. The trail continued up more steps to the right --just before the gate-- and climbed up above the house. 

Along this section there were several other ruins next to the path. The side trail to Yinsi waterfall was a little tricky to find. I walked right by it the first time because I was trying to peak down into the courtyard of the house and not paying attention. Then I consulted the map and backtracked. 

There are two or three false trails that just lead to old stone ruins but once I found the real trail and stepped up onto it from the lower main path it was clear. 

The waterfall was less than 10 minutes away. The path leading to the waterfall was much more narrow and I had to watch out for a drop on the right occasionally. I passed through a steep, wet gully, then passed the mouth of an old mine (for some reason there was trash strewn around the entrance) and then came to the waterfall. 

Yinsi waterfall is small but pretty after rain. It slid down a rock face, tumbled over rocks and disappeared below. The pool at the base was deep enough that I would have had to wade in water over the top of my boots to cross. I probably could have got a better angle for a photo if I crossed over but I decided I was already wet enough--which was ironic because by the end of the day my pants and boots would be completely soaked anyway. 

I went back to the main path and climbed up more steps. 

I came to another shrine after which the path leveled off a bit. It passed around a hill and came to a view point but all I could see was mist. 

I walked for maybe ten more minutes and then came out to the top of the ridge. 

It was raining harder now and on this side I was very exposed to a cold wind and blowing rain. I moved on quickly because I wanted to get out of the wind. I came to a T-intersection and went left toward Jiufen. I started down wooden steps with gravel between them. 

the left fork leads to Jiufen

Twenty minutes after starting down, I came to a pavilion. The path split two ways. Both ways lead down to Songde Park but I took the left path because it was shorter. 

In a few minutes I emerged from the trail at a very wet Songde Park.

I went down to the road and turned right. 

I passed the public restrooms and then when I came to wooden steps climbing a hillside, I walked up them and at the top turned left. 

I soon entered Jiufen old street. Despite the rain, it was crowded with day trippers most of them carrying umbrellas in the narrow street. I passed through the old street as quickly as the crowd and politeness would allow.  

I had also planned to hike Jilong Shan, on the other side of Jiufen, but I was thoroughly soaked and ready to go home.  When I came out of the old street, I turned right on the main road and went straight to the bus stop. I enjoyed this hike but I plan to go back again when the weather is nicer and do some more exploring. 

Nearby hikes: 

Jinzibei Historical Trail 金字碑古道 and Xiaojingua Outcrop 小金瓜露頭  

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Map and GPS coordinates:

Xiaocukeng Historic Trail entrance: 25.096985, 121.836147

 Google maps link

http://rblr.co/onEp7