This leg of the Taipei Skyline Trail (best done in one concerted push), takes you through along a pleasant and mostly very gentle ridge. As you make your way towards the centre of Taiwan's ceramic industry, you'll pass multiple peaks, an ancient banyan tree, and a legendary rock.
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TAIPEI SKYLINE TRAIL: SECTION 6B
This section of the Taipei Skyline Trail offers grand views over Yangmingshan Park's western hills, as it takes walkers over the steep (and often) muddy peaks of the Mount Datun range.
AUTUMN COLOURS at GONGBEI TEMPLE (拱北殿賞楓行)
An easy wander in New Taipei's Xizhi District. Come in November or December to enjoy the bright red leaves.
BAGUASHAN WANDER (八卦山散步)
Bagua Shan's giant Buddha is one of the most instantly recognisable features of Changhua, the smallest county in the Taiwanese mainland, but it's just one of many interesting sights to be seen on a stroll around this diminutive hill.
MOUNT HEBAO (荷苞山)
Mount Hebao Trail offers some gentle walking along pleasant, forested paths. There are places to stop and admire the view, lots of bird life, and (if you go at the right time of year), an abundance of tung blossom.
FIREFLIES at CUEI LAKE (汐止翠湖螢火蟲)
Cuei Lake in Xizhi District is one of several firefly spotting locations in New Taipei City. Visit in April to enjoy this beautiful annual event.
NANGANG TEA MOUNTAIN TRAIL (南港茶山步道 )
If you picture Nangang District in your mind what do you see? The train station? The exhibition centre? The giant software park? I bet you didn’t envision quiet hillsides cloaked with neat rows of tea. This trail offers an insight into a side of Nangang that not so many people know about.
TURTLE ISLAND (龜山島)
Visiting Turtle Island makes for a great day trip in northern Taiwan. This post will tell you a little about the fascinating history of the island, as well as find out what to expect when you visit, and how to get there.
FAIRY SHRIMP at XIANGTIAN POOL (向天池的仙女蝦)
Xiangtian Pool is an ephemeral body of water in an old volcanic crater on the northwestern edge of Yangmingshan National Park. It can be seen after periods of heavy rain, and only then for a brief time. As if this didn't make the pool intriguing enough, it is also home to a population of fairy shrimp which spawn in great numbers when the conditions are just right.
TUCHENG TUNG BLOSSOM TRAIL (土城油桐花步道)
Every April and May the mountains around Taipei are cloaked with the white blossom of the tung tree. Getting out to observe this May 'snowfall' is a popular activity amongst the locals, and this trail in Tucheng is one of many places you can go to join in.
GUIZIKENG TRAIL (貴子坑步道)
Guizikeng Trail is a short and easy walk in Beitou District. In the spring you can see cherry blossom, in summer you can come to enjoy the irrigation canal, and in winter you can round off the day with a trip to the nearby hot springs.
CHERRY BLOSSOM, OLD CANALS AND HOT SPRINGS IN BEITOU DISTRICT (風尾步道/頂圳步道/拐圳步道/龍鳳谷步道)
During the first three months of the year, this trail in Beitou is popular with sakura seekers. But even if you miss out on the beautiful blossoming trees, this walk still has plenty to offer. The walk takes in irrigation canals, streams, plenty of small temples and the dramatic sight of Sulphur Valley.
GOUYINQIN OLD TRAIL ALONG WEILUN CANAL (狗殷勤古道/尾崙水圳/平頂古圳步道)
Tucked away behind the National Palace Museum you’ll find the unassuming entrance to this trail. If you’ve eaten your fill of museum exhibits and choose to follow the old stone steps up the hill, then you will come face to face with one aspect of life in old Taiwan which is still very much alive. The historic waterways in this area have been supplying water to the farms here for generations, and what could be more soothing than walking alongside flowing water.
DAKENG TUNG BLOSSOM TRAIL (大坑桐花步道)
A quiet leg-stretch through the hills and farmland of Guishan township. Come in April or May to enjoy the tung blossom that gives the trail its name.
FIREFLY SPOTTING IN TAIPEI ON TIGER MOUNTAIN (虎山的螢火蟲)
You don't need to travel to the remote mountains of central Taiwan to experience the magic of seeing fireflies lighting up the evening forest. Hushan has a trail within walking distance of the MRT which is adapted for firefly viewing in peak season. If you visit Taiwan in April or May, you should definitely set aside an evening to step into this enchanting realm of fireflies, night birds and noisy frogs.
taiwan trails and tales 