I remember starting to attempt this trail once many moons ago and giving up because it was in a state of disrepair, so when I go asked to give it a quick write-up for Taipei magazine, I had to pay it a quick visit. As it happens, it’s a lovely short adventure with bucolic scenery and the potential for coffee once you reach the top — a perfectly formed mini adventure.

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

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We parked our scooter and started walking from Jiaokeng Bridge, following the lane uphill until we spotted the steps on the right.

The first hundred metres runs through a farmed bamboo grove that (I believe) belongs to the temple opposite, and then it climbs through thick forest. There are signs of prior habitation and farming on the slopes here, mostly (unfortunately) in the form of rubbish heaps.

At the top of the steps, take a left and head towards a small cluster of buildings. There’s a finger post in front of the first house that points to the left, and while it’s true that the trail veers left, you have to head between the two rows of buildings, not in front of the first row.

After squeezing through the alleyway, we found the slightly crumbling remains of an old farmhouse being guarded by a posse of cats.

Continuing onwards, the lane quickly narrows and terminates at a residence, while the trail continues by taking the steps just to the left of this lamppost.

A small patch of farmland before the last house and Teresa (as is her custom) showing curiosity about flowing water.

I really enjoyed the section between the last farm and the point where the trail starts to climb again. It’s all steep farmland like this, with occasional manmade rivulets, precursors to the irrigation canals that now feed much of Pingding.

A small bridge over a stream marks the spot at which we left the farmland and entered the woodland.

The forest here showed an unexpected amount of signs of animal life. There were indications of rooting behaviour, perhaps from deer, and lots of little tracks. Further up, there were also a lot of maples and Formosan sweet gum trees, these latter looking beautiful in the spring light, while the former no doubt come into their own later in the year.

At the top of the steps, we headed straight over between the houses and following the lane past allotments until it joins Pingding Street near Erweishan Trail Entrance bus stop. (If you’re planning to catch the bus back down, this is the most convenient spot from which to do so.)

However, our plan involved stopping for refreshments, so we turned left onto the road and made our way towards Erweishan Paddy Terraces.

There’s a small land god shrine to the left of the road and if you walk up the steps beside it, you can follow the irrigation canal for the final hundred metres until you reach the top of the terrace area. (Or you could just walk along the road.)

When it was first built a few years ago, this undulating flight of steps was briefly the city’s hottest new attraction. These days, it’s still a visually pleasing oddity, but one that few go out of their way to admire.

We decided to reward our (admittedly minimal) efforts with a coffee break at Oda Lulu. This rustic café has a short menu, though, so if you want more choice, you might prefer to opt instead for the establishment on the opposite side of the road.

Once our caffeine stores were suitably replenished, we retraced our steps all the way back down.

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Pingxi Trail Transportation Info and Map

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Nearby trails:

• Dengfeng Canal Trail
• Gouyinqing Old Canal Trail
• Pingding Old Canal Trail
• Pinjing Street Cherry Blossom
• Xishan Canal Trail