Enjoy the Quiet Forest Trails Around Fenqihu

After riding the Alishan Express up to Fenqihu the day before, I awoke early and left our hotel on the edge of Fenqihu Old Street to have a little pre-breakfast wander while all the birds were waking up.

Distance: 3.4km to do a full loop starting and finishing at Fenqihu Station.

Time: 1-1½ hours. It took me about 70 minutes to walk this, and I was going very slowly in order to savour being the only person in the forest.

Difficulty (regular Taiwan hiker): 1-2/10 – This is very easy, there are just some steps.

Difficulty (new Taiwan hiker): 2-3/10 – There are some steep steps, but that’s about it. The trail is well-marked, well-maintained, and pretty short.

Total ascent: About 125 metres.

Water: Since I did this walk pre-breakfast, I took my morning cup of coffee with me. In normal circumstances, a single small bottle of water would suffice.

Shade: Most of this walk is under the dense shade of the forest. It’s only the road sections that are more exposed.

Mobile network: Mostly ok I think.

Enjoyment: If you’re a bird-watcher, this walk will be a treat for you. The forests up here are filled with all manner of fabulous feathered friends.

Route type: Loop

Permit: None needed

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

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Starting from where the railway lines cross the road, I headed down towards the town’s only convenience store (which hadn’t opened yet).

In front of the 7-Eleven, I turned left and followed the road downhill from there. The rubbish collectors were also up early and doing their round, as were a few of Fenqihu’s dogs. One of them, a tan-coloured youngster who seemed to live near our hotel, was a real troublemaker. It spent most of its time hoarding its older black-furred friends into playing or truck chasing.

There are quite a lot of smaller lanes and turn-offs along the way, but you need to stick with the main road until the junction in the right-hand photo. Here, I turned right and followed the narrow track as it went steeply downhill.

Part-way down the lane, there’s a view of Fenqihu perched on the slopes.

When the road appears to hit a dead end, look out for a wooden walkway leading down to the left. Within the space of about five metres, the scenery changes completely, and you’ll soon find yourself in a tall forest of cedars.

The sun hadn’t quite climbed high enough to reach down into the forested valley when I started my walk, so my eyes had to adjust to the gloom.

For the most part, the forest felt welcoming and not at all spooky. That being said, this scarecrow gave me a start. (This is not the trail I was following, it was just a side trail down to someone’s allotment.)

The morning was busy with birdlife, their exuberant singing helping to brighten the shady environment. Several times I stopped to listen and watch. There were many white-eared sibias, Steere’s liocichla, a flock of tiny rufous-faced warblers, and a White’s thrush or two (as well as many I didn’t see for long enough to identify).

At the junction, I headed straight over. (Turning right here would take you back up to Fenqihu just a little quicker.)

At the lowest part of the walk, the trees are a lot more open, and there were many, many different species of birds flitting in and out of the foliage. On the far side of the bridge-like structure, the trail starts to climb again.

Turn right onto the road and follow it uphill until you meet the next flight of steps leading away to the left. Because this is a well-maintained tourist area, there is a clean toilet block in the middle of the woods here.

The climb up is a little steep, but with such a pretty landscape and soundscape to enjoy, I found myself stopping so frequently that I didn’t ever get out of breath.

Although most of the trees are cedars, there are plenty of other plants on display. I particularly enjoyed these elegant tree ferns whose skirts of dead leaves gave them a real presence. They look almost like botanical jellyfish.

At the next junction, I took a right and followed the boardwalk up until it rejoined the road right next to the Firefly Viewing Trail.

Turn right when you reach the lane, then follow that down, round a corner and all the way back through the little town until you find yourself in the little old street behind the station.

By the time I returned to the hotel, everyone was getting up and I joined them for a much-desired breakfast of congee and all the accouterments.

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How to get to Fenqihu

Google Maps address: I started my walk from Fenqihu Train Station. If you’re arriving by car, there are lots of spaces dotted along County Highway 169 just above the town.

GPS location:

• Southeastern trailhead – N23 30.075 E120 41.820
• Northwestern trailhead – N23 30.205 E120 41.600

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:

• Alishan Sister’s Pond Loop
• Eryanping Tea Trail
• Fenqihu Firefly Viewing Trail
• Fenqihu Trail
• Fenrui Historic Trail

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Fenqihu Cedar Boardwalk Trail Map

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

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