RAKNUS SELU DAY 11 via LAOGUANLU (樟之細路D11-老管路線)

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RAKNUS SELU TRAIL – SECTIONS RSA46.3 – RSA47 and RSA52 – RSA54.2

There are two possible routes for days 11 and 12 on the Raknus Selu Trail. This post and the next post detail the easier of the two options. At 18.5km, this is a pretty long day, but an easy one.

RAKNUS SELU STAMPS: There are two stamps to collect on this stretch of the walk.

DISTANCE: 18.5km – You could easily cut this short by ending at Nanhu.

TIME: It took me 6.5 hours with at least an hour of that spent stopped for lunch in Nanhu.

TOTAL ASCENT: About 860 metres, but it doesn’t really feel like it.

DIFFICULTY (REGULAR TAIWAN HIKERS): No single part on its own is more than 1-2/10, but the combined length and logistics (and doing it with overnight stuff) make it more like a 3/10.

DIFFICULTY (NEW HIKERS): 5-6/10 – For the same reasons as above. The logistics might the hardest part for someone unfamiliar with Taiwan.

FOOD, DRINKS & PIT STOPS: 0.5L was plenty on a cold day. There are lots of temples with water dispensers along the way. Food-wise, I didn’t carry anything except emergency backup snacks and I stopped for lunch and to pick up dinner at Nanhu. The place I stayed on this night does do food, but it’s not the kind of food that’s good for single diners (or vegetarians), so if you’re also staying over, you’ll need to figure out what you’re doing for dinner.

TRAIL SURFACES: Some mixed-surface trails, bikeways and backroads; a short section along Provincial Highway 3.

SHADE: Half and half shady and exposed sections.

MOBILE NETWORK: Mostly pretty good.

SOLO HIKE-ABILITY: There’s nothing which makes this unsuitable for solo hikers. Aside from the Laoguanlu section, most of these roads and trails are well-trafficked, and there aren’t any risky parts.

SECTIONS COVERED:

  • RSA46.3: Chuhuangkeng Oil Field Cultural Museum → Chuhuangkeng City God Temple (出磺坑油礦陳列館→出磺坑城隍宮)
  • RSA47: Chuyun Historic Trail (出雲古道)
  • RSA52: Chuyun Historic Trail → Fayun Temple → Old Provincial Highway 3 → Nanhu (出雲古道→法雲寺→舊台三→南湖)
  • RSA53: Nanhu → Nanhu Embankment Bikeway → Laoguanlu Trailhead (南湖→南湖堤岸自行車道→南湖國小→老官道入口)
  • RSA54.1: Laoguanlu → Shuiliudong Industrial Road (老官道→水流東產業道路)
  • RSA54.2: Shuiliudong Industrial Road → Xinkai Village (水流東產業道路→ 新開)

Jump to the bottom of this post for a trail map, GPX file and all the other practicalities.

DETAILS & DIRECTIONS:

My day started at 7:30 with a breakfast of sweet potato congee, vegetables, bean curd and homemade soy milk. As I was eating, the host’s friends, who were back from Canada for a holiday, came to have breakfast with them, too. 

8:30 – About an hour later, I was packed and ready to go. In the daylight, I got a proper look at the place I was staying in (cute dinosaurs and all), before heading along the road back to Chuhuangkeng Suspension Bridge to pick up where I’d finished the day before. 

The road leading up to the suspension bridge from where I had stayed had obviously been impacted by a landslide at some point in the past. There was a section that was still somewhat covered in marble and another that had been reinforced with this concreted tunnel. 

08:49 – I passed Chuhuangkeng Oil Field Cultural Museum about 10 minutes before it was set to open. However, the first tour buses of the day had already disgorged crowds of visitors into the facility’s outdoor area.

Follow the winding road running parallel to Expressway 72 towards the bright red roof of a temple. 

An active oil field behind the museum area

At the junction, the RST takes a right in front of what looks like a bus stop (but isn’t). However, I wanted to pay a visit to the Chuhuangkeng City God Temple (出磺坑城隍廟) before I continued on my way.

It seems strange to have a temple dedicated to a “City God” in somewhere as rural as this. Generally, thanks to the City God’s role as a divine bureaucrat, you tend to find him wherever a region’s power is consolidated. However, in this case, the deity was brought into the area in 1878 by Qiu Ayu (邱阿玉), a Guangdong immigrant. Later, when the Japanese came and began to develop the area, Qiu had the deity sent to his family home in Changhua. However, when the area around Chuhuangkeng seemed to be afflicted with bad fortune, so the residents invited the deity to return. I’m not sure if things settled down again upon his re-enshrinement in the area, but the temple seems to be doing well, so I guess so. 

09:03 – After topping up my water bottle, I returned to the previous junction and turned back onto the RST. A short while later, the RST takes a left and begins the start of a long ascent to go up and over the ridge into Dahu Township. Five minutes later, you need to turn left again onto an even steeper track. I climbed up through betel nut trees, sending a skittish trio of bamboo partridges flapping noisily for cover. 

09:13 – Look out for steps heading off the track to the right. This section is called Chuyun Historic Trail (出雲古道) on the RST map. The name is made by smashing together the “Chu” of Chuhuangkeng with the “Yun” of Fayun Temple, but it seems the path also has other names.

Within seconds of stepping off the track, I found myself in the middle of a huge mixed flock of birds. I saw Morrison’s fulvettas, black-naped monarchs, a Taiwan barbet, and rufous-capped warblers, and I’m pretty sure there were others I didn’t spot. I spent about ten minutes listening and watching before finally continuing. 

The path climbs to a (probably) abandoned Youyinggong Shrine (a shrine dedicated to unclaimed remains), which has a perfect view of the spot where I picked up this leg of the journey. 

09:29 – At the top of the steps, take a left and head up the track beyond those three cones. (To the right of the path there’s a factory which looked a little creepy in the quiet.)

09:30 – Very soon, you’ll find yourself at the entrance to Fayun Temple Historic Trail (法雲寺古道, I think this is just an alternative name for Chuyun Historic Trail).

This turned out to be quite a popular trail. I passed several groups of walkers making their way down as I was heading up. I also saw the first of many muntjacs, and quite a lot of squirrels. I think the trail must be even busier in April-May because the floor was absolutely littered with tung leaves, so I guess it must be littered with tung blossom come spring. 

09:42 – It doesn’t take long to reach the high point of the trail. This spot is marked by a viewing platform that no longer has a view.

Just beyond the platform, there are three trails to choose from. The RST is the one heading down steps to the left. The wording on the wooden finger post has faded away, but there is a RST diamond-shaped trail marker. 

The descent from here to Fayun is pretty and has obviously been reworked many times judging by the various types of trail work on display. There are concrete plank steps and wooden walkways. 

As well as metalwork walkways and dirt trails. 

And my favourite part was this wonderful repair job fashioned from rattan vines and a couple of branches. 

09:54 – The RST splits in two directions at this point. RSA48 goes right, but I went left on the remainder of RSA47 towards Fayun Temple. 

I guess the set up here must have been different in years gone by because when I arrived at the rear end of the Fayun Temple complex, I found myself walking past the longest row of toilet/shower cubicles I have seen outside of a festival context. 

10:00 – I was a little unsure of where to go from here at first, but after a while, I spotted RST signage leading through the archway here. Then, at the next junction, keep straight (unless you need to spend a penny in the loos).

On your way to the temple’s front forecourt, you’ll pass the Dahu Land Reclamation Memorial Stele (大湖開闢紀念碑). Erected in 1917, during the Japanese colonial era, this marker commemorates the earlier efforts of brothers Wu Dingxin (吳定新) and Wu Dinglian (吳定連) in “opening” the region. Starting from the early 1860s, the pair were instrumental in the development of farming and key infrastructure, and what is euphemistically described as “fighting against hostile forces” (which is likely to mean fighting against local indigenous people).

It’s worth taking a moment to properly appreciate the craftsmanship on these stone lions that guard the stele. The female with its mischievous cub is especially exquisite. 

Fayun Temple is an elegant green-roofed Buddhist temple with several Buddhas seated inside. For some reason, I never feel as at ease photographing purely Buddhist temples compared to more Taoist ones, so although I went to take a look, I didn’t get any closer photos. 

From the temple’s forecourt, you can enjoy a great view of some of Dahu Township’s farms and campsites stretching away in the plane before the hills rise abruptly on the far side of the river. That dramatically pointy one is Yaopo Shan (鷂婆山), a peak I’d first spotted yesterday from Xieyun Temple (協雲宮).

If you stand facing the temple, there’s a flight of steps running downhill to the right. Take them, and follow them until they join the road. The road winds downhill past several shady pavilions. 

Unfortunately, there are no more views until you’re almost on the flat. 

10:35 – At the junction, turn right and follow a narrow lane through strawberry farms. (If you need provisions, there’s a FamilyMart over a bridge and just a couple of hundred metres to the left.)

I found myself in the centre of Dahu’s strawberry-growing region and during the strawberry season. There were scores of farm workers out tending to their crops and even more daytrippers out picking their own. 

Although I was walking along a road, the walk wasn’t boring. There was plenty to look at: small temples, washing, dogs and farms. Every now and then, I got an enticing in sweet whiff of fresh strawberries, and at one house, the scent of black sugar steamed buns was wafting out through a mesh window. 

11:17 – Head straight over here. (Or, if you would rather skip this section, you can diver left over the bridge and into Nanhu instead.)

I followed the RST over and past more farms—some abandoned—towards the bright red form of Dahu Guanyin Temple (大湖觀音宮).

11:25 – Turn left here following the fingerpost directing you along the bikeway (自行車路線).

11:35 – You need to walk up a ramp to get to Dahu Guanyin Temple. Guanyin is indeed, the main deity enshrined here, and a large statue of her can be seen towering above the temple. The temple’s forecourt offers another good view looking back over the area’s farms, and after taking a look, I filled my water bottle and continued down the ramp on the far side to rejoin the road. 

11:47 – Turn left onto Huang Bridge (還湖橋) and cross the Nanhu River (南湖溪) just before it disgorges into the larger Houlong River (後龍溪). 

Here, the RST crosses over Provincial Highway 3, before turning right onto Zhongyuan Road, but I decided to take a lunch break in Nanhu, so I turned left and headed into town. 

While in town, I got coffee from FamilyMart, stocked up on provisions for the rest of the day, and went and said hi to Shennong in the town’s massive and quiet Wansheng Temple (萬聖宮). I also picked up dinner from this place (yes, pizza again, but it was either that or instant noodles).

13:02 – I spent a little over an hour stopped in town before picking up the trail where I left off. 

13:04 – Before crossing Nanhu River for a second time, turn left onto the bike path running alongside it. 

The smell was so good that I couldn’t resist having a couple of slices while they were still hot. 

The bikeway sits raised between the river on the right and farmland on the left. Not far out of the town, I saw people wandering around in swimwear with skin scorched pink by the hotspring water. 

There were lots of dubious scarecrows guarding the farmland here, some of them with noisemakers that blared out sounds of hawks, barking dogs and revving engines.

I got overtaken by this pack of four small boys, probably no older than 9, who were practising their best curse words on each other while wearing their bike helmets and getting in some fresh air. 

13:55 – Turn right to cross over this bridge, then when you reach the road, turn left onto the noisy Provincial Highway 3.

13:59 – Cross under the walkway in front of FamilyMart, then keep heading straight up Provincial Highway 3. I got some thumbs up and a “加油” from people stopped at the lights. A lot of people think I’m doing a round island trip (環島), I guess that’s what people are usually doing when they’re walking the roads with a backpack. 

14:13 – Keep following the highway until you reach this turn-off on the left with a sign directing you to Shuitou Fude Temple (水頭福德祠).

Steps lead up past a toilet block to a recently renovated temple. 

From here, follow the ramp heading to towards the hills, and a few metres later, take the upper left road again. 

14:27 – Just as the track starts to level out, follow it to the right, then look out for the RST signage directing you up to the right beside a water tank. This is the start of the Laoguanlu or Old Patrol Road (老官路). The Laoguanlu section of the Raknus Selu is one of several that have been selected for promotion because they exemplify some aspect of the trail’s history. This route was established in the 1880s at the behest of camphor manufacturers. Back then, it was a busy route—in fact, one of the only routes in the area, meaning that everyone made use of it. However, when Provincial Highway 3 was opened, some sections fell into disrepair and became lost to history. It was only revived through the concerted efforts of locals who remembered walking the trail in their childhoods.

The path skirts around the topmost edges of orange and pear orchards and campsites too. 

Stretches of it take you through dense and creaking bamboo and I saw a large number of muntjacs as I made my way through the trees. I think I also saw my first ever Taiwan hare here, but it hopped up and away far too quickly for me to photograph.

Every now and then, the path opens to the right and I got views over to the hills where RSA8 will eventually lead me. 

14:48 – Here the path zigzags over to join the righthand trail heading up. 

In several of the farms, I passed workers either picking oranges, or else taping plastic bags onto the ends of (maybe pear) branches. 

The oranges looked as delicious as the strawberries smelled. 

14:55 – Take a left at this junction and head uphill for a short way. At the top of the climb, the path veers left again past this waterbutt.

Every time there’s a junction, you’ll find RST signage beckoning you on. (There’s an abandoned wattle-and-daub-walled farmhouse just up from here that’s worth a quick look.)

More bamboo forest. In fact, almost all of the rest of the journey took me through either orange orchards or bamboo forests. 

15:08 – After squeezing past the farmers’ trucks, I found myself at an almost missable junction. The trail dives left downhill just beyond the pole. 

This section of the trail is noticeably darker than everything that had gone before. 

15:12 – A historic boundary marker. Someone has gone to the effort of laminating a photo showing what each side of the marker says. It’s still hard to make out, but the charaters read “大正六年四月，從是南校栗林警、從是北南湖警察.” It was erected in April of 1917 (the 6th year of Emperor Taisho’s reign), to indicate that the land south of this point was under the jurisduction of Xiaolilin and the north is the responsibility of Nanhu.

15:17 – When you rejoin a track, merge right onto it, then at the next junction, head left uphill following the RST signage. 

The track rises to run through another orange orchard, but just before you reach the farm shed, the trail dives left again and into the trees once more. 

I ran into a large and chattery flock of scaly-breasted munias here. 

15:31 – The trail soon re-emerges onto Shuiliudong Industrial Road. Turn left and follow the road for a minute until you reach the next junction, then take a right uphill. 

The track becomes a paved walking trail and slopes gently down through the trees. I disturbed yet more muntjacs here. 

Bamboo and ferns made this final push of the day visually pretty, even if my feet were ready to rest. 

15:50 – Just before the trail emerged back into the open, I met a small troupe of monkeys who chuntered and barked at me. 

A monument on the left side of the road remembers people who died fighting in August of 1898. There’s no information provided about the memorial, but judging by the time, it’s likely to have been Han or Hakka residents of Taiwan who perished while fighting Japanese forces.

Finally, I spotted my destination for the night: Shimen Leisure Farm. 

15:57 – Steps lead up to the farm track, and from there I turned left to walk towards the farm just as the bosses were pulling up in their truck. 

Several dogs rushed out to greet me, and I set my pack down to collect the stamp for RSA54 as the proprietors quibbled over who should have prepared my room (it appeared they’d forgotten). In the end, the whole family ran off to sort it out, and ten minutes later, I was shown to my very comfortable room for the night.

GETTING THERE

Public transport:

  • Getting to Chuhuangkeng Oil Field Cultural Museum – The 5656 bus leaves Miaoli Station once or twice an hour and will get you to the start of this day’s walking. Alight at the Chu Pits bus stop and cross over the suspension bridge to get on the trail.
  • Getting back from near Shimen Leisure Farm – There’s one bus a day to Zhuolan from Shimen Leisure Farm’s closest bus stop. The 5655 departs Dahu at 16:35, and is scheduled to pass the Jingshan Entrance bus stop around 17:00, but it’s likely to arrive a bit earlier than that. From Zhuolan Bus Station, you can then catch the 208 bus to Fengyuan Train Station and go wherever you need to go from there. 

Accommodation:

Accommodation near Chuhuangkeng – I stayed at Lianlian Shanshui Farm B&B. My room (complete with an unexpected hot spring bath) was exceptionally comfortable, cosy and quiet on a cold night. However, after having walked this section, I think I would suggest anyone hoping to do it on a budget to take a bus back into Miaoli or Gongguan and find accommodation in the city. I arrived at the bus stop that would take me back to Mioali well before 3pm, so it would certainly be possible time-wise.

  • Name in Chinese: 戀戀山水農莊民宿
  • Address: 363, Miaoli County, Gongguan Township, 30號
  • Contact: 0903929218 or 037221258
  • Cost: I paid $2,500 but it seems like rates vary depending on season and day of the week.

Accommodation in Dahu Township – You’ve got lots of options in this area, particularly if you fancy some (expensive) glamping. I stayed in a wooden room at Shimen Leisure Farm—one of the six Raknus Selu Trail Workstations. My room was clean, comfortable, and quiet. In fact, I think I was the only guest on a cold December night.

  • Name in Chinese: 石門客棧休閒農場
  • Address: 36442, Miaoli County, Dahu Township, 竹橋20號
  • Contact: 037951129
  • Cost: I paid $1,600. I was quoted a higher price for two people, sp I think part of the room price was knocked off because they only needed to prepare breakfast for one.
RAKNUS SELU DAY DAY 11 via LAOGUUANLU TRAIL MAP

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

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