Distance: 1km
Time: a short 20-30 minute walk. Longer if you stop and ignore the signs to do a spot of fishing like everyone else.
Difficulty: 1/10 – suitable for pretty much anyone as long as you can walk for 1km. The path is almost all tarmac except for a couple of parts which are paved. You could probably do it with a pushchair.
Water: 0.5L – probably not really necessary.
Shade: patchy, mostly exposed.
Mobile network: excellent, full coverage.
Enjoyment: A gentle amble with views of farms, the highway and uncles fishing. Good for a drizzly day when you really need to get out of the house.
There really is nowhere that you can go wrong on this walk, it’s a straightforward loop around the reservoir. The distance markers go anti-clockwise so that’s the direction we went in.
Right at the entrance there’s an overload of signs, amongst them signs prohibiting fishing which this older man was busy ignoring.
We took Youtiao, (an elderly, slightly overweight dachshund), with us and she found the walk very easy.
You get an interesting sense of both the old and new Taiwan as you pass small farms growing bananas and lotus plants with the roar of the freeway carried to you on the breeze.
There are a few signs giving some historical information about the reservoir and area but only if you can read Chinese.
The sound of traffic is quieter as you walk around the far side but the presence of the freeway looms large on the horizon. It was around here that we had a brief conversation with a group of fishing uncles who had rigged up a fly trap using a fishing net, a drinks bottle with some holes in it and bits of rotting fish as bait.
How to get there
Google maps address: 號, No. 56, Luxing S Rd, Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, 338 – there is a limited about amount of parking available at the entrance.
GPS location: N25 01.774 E121 17.459
Public transport: there is a bus stop very nearby which is run by the Taoyuan bus company but if you’re coming from Taipei it’s better to catch the 9023 bus from Yuanshan MRT station. I’m not sure the journey would be worth it from to but just in case: at Yuanshan MRT station take exit 1 and find Yuan Shan Tansfer station, the 9023 bus is headed towards Taoyuan Station. Get off at 尊爵飯店/Zun Jue Fandian/Monarch Hotel. When you get off continue walking west until you reach the first junction, turn right onto Zhongzheng Road, walk straight up Zhongzheng Road until the road splits off slightly left into Luxing South Road. A little way up Luxing South Road he entrance to the reservoir is on your left. In total it should take about 10-15 minutes to walk from the bus stop.
My new words learnt on this hike were:
- 水庫 / shuǐkù / reservoir
taiwan trails and tales 