FENQI TRAIL (奮起步道)

/ taiwantrailsandtales
A Gentle Stroll Around Fenqihu

Riding the Alishan Express Train was pretty much my dad’s top priority for my parents’ second visit to Taiwan, so we decided to book a hotel in Fenqihu and make a day of it. We arrived at Chiayi Train Station about a quarter of an hour before the first train of the day departed and enjoyed (or endured depending on who you ask), the 2+ hour ride up to Fenqihu. After recovering from the long journey with a quick coffee, we set off to wander along the Fenqi Trail. Not to be confused with the far longer (and steeper) Fenrui Historic Trail, Fenqi Trail is a short and well-kept walk which skirts the edge of the village.

Distance: Around 1.6km.

Time: 40-80 minutes – It took us about an hour at a gentle pace. (I stopped often to look at birds.)

Difficulty (regular Taiwan hiker): 1.5/10 – Some steep steps but otherwise very easy.

Difficulty (new Taiwan hiker): 2-3/10- Overall very easy, but the steepness might be challenging for some.

Total ascent: About 100 metres.

Water: In the cooler months, you could get away without taking anything, but in the summer you’d want a small bottle of water.

Shade: Mostly quite shady.

Mobile network: Clear throughout.

Enjoyment: If you’ve only got time for one walk in Fenqihu, make it this one.

Other: There’s a nice little coffee shop right where the trail returns into the village.

Route type: Loop

Permit: None needed

Jump to the bottom of this post for a trail map and GPX file.

The trail starts from the Chiayi end of the Fenqihu Station (you should be able to figure out which way this is by looking at the station sign).

We had to cross over the tracks and take the steps leading up the far side, but not before admiring the pair of century-old steam trains waiting under a temporary cover for their museum to be rebuilt. (According to my dad, they’re unique in the steam train world in that they do not make use of pistons.)

Once over the tracks, we followed the steps up and to the right through a patch of bamboo forest.

At the top of the steps, turn left onto the road then follow it uphill as far as the bus parking lot. The start of both Fenrui Historic Trail and Fenqi Historic Trail is right next to that purple bus. (The other end of this parking lot is also the start of the Firefly Viewing Trail.)

At the start of the trail, there was a little stand containing several bamboo walking sticks for public use. (I think there must be a return stand at the far end of Fenrui Trail, because there was not one at the end of the trail we walked.)

Mum, who enjoys fiddling with things, decided to take one of the sticks (more just for the novelty of it than because it was necessary).

About five minutes after we left the road, we reached the point where the two trails split. Here we turned right to follow Fenqi Trail as it skirted the village.

Mum and dad both mentioned how impressive and well-designed they found the raised forest walkways, and to give the Forestry Bureau credit, this is a very nicely built trail. It seems to float slightly above the forest, allowing you to feel immersed without causing too much wear and tear to the environment.

To the left of the path, an information board drew our attention to the remains of an old charcoal kiln. These can be found dotted around all of the historic trails in areas that were settled in past centuries.

Just beside the kiln, there was a rest shelter that had been commandeered with a couple of professional picnickers. They’d got steaming cups of tea and had brought station lunch boxes with them.

I think at this point, my parents might have been secretly wondering just how many steps they would have to climb.

Luckily for them, there wasn’t a whole lot more uphill to do, and we were soon rounding a corner and heading down again to meet Luding Sacred Tree. It is a pretty diminutive sacred tree by Taiwan’s standards, but still rather impressive. Also impressive (albeit in a different way), were the many lichen-clad stalks of bamboo.

Where the path levels out for a short stretch, look to the left to try and spot the ruins of an old Shinto shrine.

Alishan was an important logging area for the Japanese during the time when they ruled Taiwan, and as an important stop on the Alishan Railway, a shrine was constructed at Fenqihu.

As we headed down from the shrine, we saw a flurry of activity in one of the trees beside the trail. At last, one of the white-eared sibias that we had been hearing throughout the whole walk made an appearance. That wasn’t the only bird we saw though. The sibias were part of a mixed flock containing Steere’s liocichla, Taiwan yuhina and Taiwan barwing (it was my first time seeing this particular bird, and I was enchanted by the way they seemed to fall up the trees).

The path heads down to the road and crosses straight over. At the next junction, we took a right so that we could head to the lookout spot.

This viewing platform has a clear line of sight over Fenqihu Station, and we stayed here to watch the first train of the afternoon making its way back down the mountain to Chiayi.

From the platform, we headed back down towards the station by turning right at this next junction, then keeping right again until the steps take you down past a coffee shop.

We enjoyed a vegetarian Fenqihu railway bento box on the platform (because that is apparently the done thing when in Fenqihu), then wandered to our hotel to check in.

As we made our way through the little mountain town, we met a few more of Taiwan’s impressive birdlife. These two are a pair of tits. Literally. On the left is a black-throated tit and on the right is a green-backed tit.

How to get to Fenqihu

Google Maps address: The walk starts and ends at Fenqihu Station. There is some parking available a little further up County Highway 169 around here, but it gets very busy on weekends and holidays.

GPS location: N23 30.300 E120 41.595

Public transport: We arrived at Fenqihu aboard the Alishan Railway from Chiayi Station. Tickets can be purchased online from the Alishan Forest Railway website. It is also possible to buy tickets on the day of travel, but the website warns that this is on a first-come-first-served basis and that the number of tickets sold each day is limited. I can’t find any info about how often tickets are sold out, but personally, I wouldn’t want to risk it (especially on weekends or holidays). As of 2023, tickets cost $384 one-way.

Nearby trails:

Fenqi Trail Map

GPX file available here on Outdoor Active. (Account needed, but the free one works just fine.)

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