Many of Taiwan’s mountain lovers dream of summiting the Bai Yue (百岳), or 100 Peaks. These are an assortment of mountains over 3000m which have been selected for their beauty or other noteworthy features (yes, Taiwan really has so many high peaks that it’s possible to pick a top one hundred). It is certainly a thrilling challenge for those who have the time and money to do it, but the fact that many of them require overnight stays, permits and porters can make them seem a bit daunting. Thankfully though, the Taiwanese seem to love a good challenge, so if you’re not yet ready to attempt the Bai Yue then you can always dip a toe in the waters by climbing the Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳) first.
The Xiao Bai Yue (also known as the 100 Minor Peaks), much like their loftier counterparts, were selected based on their beauty or significance. However, unlike the Bai Yue, the Xiao Bai Yue are classified as suburban mountains (郊山 – a confusing term for foreigners like myself since there’s not very much suburban about them), and can all be completed as day hikes. The highest among them is towers at over 2600m, while the lowest (20m) is barely a bump. Many can be accessed using public transport, and by and large, they don’t require much in the way of specialist skills. All of this makes them an ideal entry-level challenge for anyone hoping to see more of Taiwan’s beautiful mountain trails.
NOTE: This page is a work in progress. As of now, I have climbed 60-something out of the hundred and have route guides for 50-something of those up on the site. The ones with photos but no linked post are ones I’ve climbed but haven’t yet finished writing. This is something I hope to keep chipping away at for years to come, so check back for updates every now and then. (If you want specific information about a trail marked on here as “coming soon,” feel free to reach out.)
No. 1 — Mount Datun (大屯山)
1,092m, Taipei
No. 2 — Mount Qixing (七星山)
1,120m, Taipei
I’ve also walked this peak at night and to catch the sunrise.
No. 3 — Mount Dawulun (大武崙山)
231m, Keelung
No. 4 — Mount Gangziliao (槓子寮山)
163, Keelung
No. 5 — Mount Guanyin (觀音山)
616m, New Taipei
No. 6 — Mount Keelung (觀音山)
616m, New Taipei
No. 7 — Mount Hongdan (紅淡山)
210m, Keelung
No. 8 — Mount Daluntou (大崙頭山)
478m, Taipei
No. 9 — Mount Jiantan (劍潭山)
153m, Taipei
No. 10 — Mount Wufen (五分山)
757m, New Taipei
No. 11 — Mount Jiangziliao (姜子寮山)
728m, New Taipei
No. 12 — Xizhi Dajian Mountain (汐止大尖山)
459m, New Taipei
No. 13 — Mount Nangang (南港山)
374m, Taipei
No. 14 — Tukuyue (土庫岳)
389m, New Taipei
No. 15 — Mount Dading (大棟山)
405m, New Taipei
No. 16 — Mount Nanshijiao (南勢角山)
616m, New Taipei
No. 17 — Mount Erge (二格山)
678m, Taipei / New Taipei
No. 18 — Mount Tianshang (天上山)
429m, New Taipei
No. 19 — Mount Yuan (鳶山/福德坑山)
321m, New Taipei
No. 20 — Lion’s Head Mountain (獅仔頭山)
858m, New Taipei
No. 21 — Mount Jinmian (金面山)
667m, Taoyuan
No. 22 — Mount Dongyan (東眼山)
1,212m, New Taipei / Taoyuan
No. 23 — Mount Xizhou (溪洲山)
557m, Taoyuan
No. 24 — Mount Shimen (石門山)
551m, Taoyuan
No. 25 — Mount Shiniu (石牛山)
671m, Taoyuan
No. 26 — 18 Peaks Mountain (十八尖山)
130m, Hsinchu
No. 27 — Mount Feifeng (飛鳳山)
462m, Hsinchu
No. 28 — Lidong Mountain (李東山)
1,914,m, Taoyuan
No. 29 — Lion’s Head Mountain (獅頭山)
492m, Miaoli
No. 30 — Five Finger Mountain (五指山)
1,602m, Hsinchu
No. 31 — Mount Egongji (鵝公髻山)
1,579m, Hsinchu / Miaoli
No. 32 — Mount Xiangtianhu (向天湖山)
1,225m, Miaoli
No. 33 — Mount Xian (仙山)
967m, Miaoli
No. 34 — Jiali Mountain (加里山)
2,210m, Miaoli
No. 35 — Fire Mountain (火炎山)
596m, Miaoli
No. 36 — Mount Guandao (關刀山)
889m, Miaoli
No. 37 — Mount Manabang (馬那邦山)
1,407m, Miaoli
COMING SOON
No. 38 — Anvil Hill (鐵站山)
236m, Taichung
No. 39 — Mount Shaolai (捎來山)
2,307m, Taichung
No. 40 — Mount Juxing (聚興山)
500m, Taichung
No. 41 — Mount Touke (頭嵙山)
859m, Taichung
COMING SOON
No. 42 — South Guanyin Mountain (南觀音山)
318m, Taichung
No. 43 — Mount Santing (三汀山)
480m, Taichung
No. 44 — Mount Anying (暗影山)
997m, Taichung
No. 45 — Mount Dahengping (大橫屏山)
1,205m, Taichung / Nantou
No. 46 — Mount Azhaowu (阿罩霧山)
249m, Taichung
No. 47 — Mount Jiufener (九份二山)
1,174m, Nantou
No. 48 — Mount Heng (橫山)
443m, Nantou
No. 49 — Mount Moaolan (貓蘭山)
1,016m, Nantou
No. 50 — Jiji Da Mountain (集集大山)
1,393m, Nantou
No. 51 — Mount Songbaikeng (松柏坑山)
430m, Changhua
COMING SOON
No. 52 — Mount Houjian (後尖山)
1,008m, Nantou
No. 53 — Phoenix Mountain (鳳凰山)
1,696m, Nantou
No. 54 — Mount Jinganshu (金甘樹山)
2,091m, Nantou
No. 55 — Mount Shibi (石壁山)
1,751m, Yunlin / Chiayi
No. 56 — Yun-Chia Mount Dajian (雲嘉大尖山)
1,299m, Yunlin / Chiayi
No. 57 — Mount Lizijiao (梨子腳山)
1,176m, Yunlin / Chiayi
No. 58 — Mount Duli (獨立山)
840m, Chiayi
No. 59 — Mount Data (大塔山)
2,663m, Chiayi / Nantou
No. 60 — Mount Dadong (大凍山)
1,967m, Chiayi
COMING SOON
No. 61 — Dahujian Mountain (大湖尖山)
1,313m, Chiayi
No. 62 — Mount Hongmaopi (紅毛埤山)
150m, Chiayi
No. 63 — Mount Dadong (大棟山)
1,241m, Chiayi / Tainan
No. 64 — Mount Kantou (崁頭山)
844m, Tainan
No. 65 — Sanjiao South Mountain (三腳南山)
1,186m, Chiayi / Tainan
No. 66 — West Aliguan Mountain (西阿里關山)
973m, Tainan / Kaohsiung
No. 67 — Bamboo Shoot Mountain (竹子尖山)
1,090m, Tainan
No. 68 — Mount Tengzhi (藤枝山)
1,575m, Kaohsiung
No. 69 — Mount Baiyun (白雲山)
1,044m, Kaohsiung
No. 70 — Mount Zhongniuhu (刣牛湖山)
730m, Tainan / Kaohsiung
No. 71 — Mount Minghai (鳴海山)
1,411m, Kaohsiung
No. 72 — Mount Qiwei (旗尾山)
318m, Kaohsiung
No. 73 — Mount Weiliao (尾寮山))
1,427m, Kaohsiung / Pingtung
No. 74 — Mount Dagang (大崗山)
312m, Kaohsiung
No. 75 — Mount Guanyin (觀音山)
169m, Kaohsiung
No. 76 — Mount Liding (笠頂山)
659m, Pingtung
No. 77 — Mount Shou (壽山)
356m, Kaohsiung
No. 78 — Mount Pengji (棚集山)
899m, Pingtung
No. 79 — Mount Nureng (女仍山)
804m, Pingtung
No. 80 — Mount Lilong (里龍山)
1,062m, Pingtung
No. 81 — Mount Dashanmu (大山母山)
325m, Pingtung
No. 82 — Mount Wankengtou (灣坑頭山)
616m, Yilan
No. 83 — Mount Sanjiaolun (三角崙山)
1,029m, Yilan
No. 84 — Magpie Mountain (鵲子山)
679m, Yilan
No. 85 — Mount Sanxing (三星山)
2,352m, Yilan
No. 86 — Mount Kalabao (卡拉寶山)
2,397m, Hualien
No. 87 — Mount Liwu (立霧山)
1,274m, Hualien
No. 88 — Mount Chuyin (初音山)
906m, Hualien
No. 89 — Carp Mount (鯉魚山)
601m, Hualien
COMING SOON
No. 90 — Mount Yuemei (月眉山)
614m, Hualien
COMING SOON
No. 91 — Mount Baliwan (八里灣山)
924m, Hualien
No. 92 — Mount Wanren (萬人山)
886m, Hualien
No. 93 — Mount Dulan (都蘭山)
886m, Taitung
No. 94 — Mount Taimali (太麻里山)
1,340m, Taitung
No. 95 — Mount Jianaimei (加奈美山)
780m, Taitung
No. 96 — Mount Balangwei (巴塱衛山)
614m, Taitung
No. 97 — Mount Hongtou (紅頭山)
552m, Taitung
No. 98 — Mount Yuntai (雲台山)
248m, Matsu
No. 99 — Mount Taiwu (台武山)
253m, Kinmen
No. 100 — Snake Head Hill (蛇頭山)
20m, Penghu
Taiwan Trails and Tales 