See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

This blog has a few reviews of hikes to go on for a day trip if you head down to Shenkeng old street of Shiding. Both towns are great to see if you're ready to spend a day touring around the mountains south of Taipei. The two trails featured here are within easy walking distance from the river and old street in Shenkeng, and are actually part of the same set of (partially) linked hiking paths. If you're really in the mood you can walk up and over the mountains here and get to Maokong Station on the gondola which runs behind the Taipei zoo. To save 99% of readers time, the final conclusion of this entire article is you should avoid these hikes unless you've a) done all the hikes in Taipei already, or b) are doing it in winter and are a genuinely avid hiker with a good understanding of how to use your phone's GPS. These hikes are not suitable for casual walks on a date, or for people just looking to stretch their legs. I set out to do this hike on the first of tho...

Spring has finally arrived in Taiwan, which means there is about a two week window to get out and enjoy what may be the best hiking weather on earth until the temperature cranks up to unbearable levels. If you want to go somewhere that's close to Taipei, doesn't involve cramming it into a train to cat town, and is not full of other foreign faces, get down to Shiding 石碇. This is a day trip isn't far down the road from Shenkeng, the self proclaimed stinky tofu capital of Taiwan, but you'll still be getting long looks for being a foreigner here. The river view west and slightly south of the old street. A tribute to the village's mining history. Highway 5 runs overhead, Tanlan trail below. Off the beaten path? Not really, anymore, but still a great place to be for a day out of the city. It features genuine hiking, low-tempo river walks, and old street, and is based around an old school mining community. The main draw here is the hike at Huangdidian ...

Pingxi is an area this blog has discussed before with a overview of the Shifen waterfall. On a recent trip back there it was discovered the waterfall is no longer a pay-to-see attraction and now has new viewing platforms. You can see the whole article about that here . Pingxi is also a township located farther down the rail line, and river, from Keelung than Shifen, and is worth a stop on a day that includes Houtong, Shifen, Pingxi, and Jingtong. It's a one day trip through mining towns and market streets where you're surrounded by nature at every turn. View from the 106. The big reason to come out this far is it's incredibly picturesque. The little village is nestled in the mountains, sits above several tributaries as they form the Keelung river, and is surrounded by great hikes which lead to numerous waterfalls. Take the initiative to get away from the old street, since each town has one which is nearly identical, and enjoy the area around it. If you're...

Qingtiangang is one of the most popular mountain-top spots for recreation in Taipei City. Weekend revelers stream up the narrow roads connecting to this Japanese-made cow pasture to enjoy an afternoon of fresh air and sun. Large open grasslands and ruined colonial buildings set a tone of relaxation, engagement with nature, and a sense of history. Welcome! The meadow everyone visits, with cows. Note the couple on the left. The meadows surrounding the parking lot area were actually populated with livestock by the Japanese during the colonial era. There was a need for pastureland near the mines which were springing up all across northern Taiwan, and what is now known as Qingtiangang was their answer. Today the pasture is only a fraction of its original size due to the regrowth of inedible plants and trees in the once completely deforested space. The span of the pasture once went from the foot of Qixingshan to Fengguikou, which backs up to the neighborhood of the national pala...

The Shifen waterfall is a once-private-now-publicly managed waterfall which sits just outside of the small railroad town of Shifen 十分. This is a must-see destination for people who are coming to the Pingxi 平溪 area on a day trip. The weekends get crowded and riding the tourist train can be a bit intense, and this write up focuses mostly on the waterfall which should be one of many stops on a full day trip along the old Pingxi rail line. The main drag in Shifen was built with the railroad running right down the middle of it and you used to be free to walk the rail lines unless the train was coming. There are new crowd control barriers but there is only one track so rail service is slow so you shouldn't be afraid of a passing train. Don't be afraid to walk out and grab a few pictures in downtown, although being on the tracks is technically a punishable offence. Getting shots of yourself and a passing train mere feet behind you are also an obvious must.  This street is a f...