Taipei City Government

With the end of summer vacation in sight, this is one of the last chances you have to take a leave from urban concerns and embrace the great outdoors! Why not spend the time constructively and visit some of the less-explored spots on Yangmingshan?

On August 26, the Geotechnical Engineering Office will hold the 2023 Taipei Grand Trail Ecotour at the Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail and Hudi Road Hiking Trail. It welcomes the public to take part on a leisure hike of the surrounding area.

The agency pointed out that the tour will kick-off at 8 AM in the morning. The group will leave from the sidewalk next to the bus stop of Dunxu High School of Industry and Commerce. The participants will travel to Longfenggu Recreation Area and enjoy the view of the cistern used by a past mine. As the participants follow the Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail upstream, the view slowly changes to one reflecting a volcanic terrain – geyser holes, sulfur crystals, and hot spring irrigation channels, as well as ruins of a hot spring facility. After moving along Shamao Road, Hudi Road, and Banling Trail, the hikers will reach the Hongtan Shrine. Also known as the “Celestial Temple”, the small shrine does not house a given deity, but will open its doors to welcome the gods during temple events in Yangmingshan area.

There will be a small concert at the Hongtan Plaza, and participants will be able to collect a souvenir after the conclusion of the event. From here, they can either return to Shamao Road and take buses heading to Beitou, or proceed to Yangmingshan Bus Station via Hengling Historical Trail to board a bus heading back to the city.

The ecotour of Quanyuan Shamao Hiking Trail and Hudi Road Hiking Trail is limited to 300 participants. Reservations are accepted starting August 11. To sign up, please visit the Chinese website of Taiwan Nature Trail Society (https://www.naturetrail.org.tw/) or the Chinese website of GEO (http://www.geo.gov.taipei/). You can also call the agency at (02) 2302-5265.