2019 is the year of the pig, we’ll be centering our recommended experiences for 2019 around the themes of abundance, indulgence, getting in touch with nature, and coming full circle.
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All articles filed in Hiking
A Perfect Day in Taipei’s Xinyi District
Home to artist hangouts, tons of amazing restaurants, trendy clubs, luxury malls, Taipei 101, the Xinyi District is more than just the Commercial hub of Taipei. It’s also a spot worth spending at least a full day exploring on any visit to Taiwan.
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Moving Mountains: An Australian Hiker Moves in Taipei
One of the things Ray appreciates most about living in Taipei is how easy it is to get out of Taipei without technically having to even leave the city.
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Sky High-Climbing Up to the Roof of Taiwan: A Wushe to Mt. Hehuan Excursion
On a three-day adventure along the Central Cross-Island Highway in the Nantou County section of the soaring Central Mountain Range.
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Heading out to the mountains
Weekend Plans: Heading out to the mountains
If I may toot my own horn for a minute, it’s been a pretty eventful week. In addition to helping to create a number of customized tours for North American visitors heading to Taiwan in a few weeks (more about them in future posts), last night at 8pm I submitted for publishing my most recent book on Taiwan, Formosa Moon.
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Seven Star Mountain, a Hike You Cannot Miss While in Taipei
Though I’ve lived in Taipei over 20 years, I’d never made it to the top of the city’s iconic Mt. Qixing, or Seven Star Mountain, known for its riveting views of Taipei, the mountains beyond, and of the rugged, whitecap-washed north coast. Today was the day, the scenic Mt. Qixing Trail my path into the north Taiwan sky.
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Snow Mountain – A Winter Hike on One of Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Mountains
Taiwan’s second-highest peak, Snow Mountain (3,886m), is often overlooked by Westerners who come to the island for hiking. Mt. Jade, being the tallest, is the one that everyone wants to bag, but for me, Snow Mountain is a far more interesting and scenic hike. The terrain and views vary greatly, and even though I’ve been to the top some fifteen times, I still look forward to each and every trip.
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Jiaming Lake – A Hike to a Beautiful High-Mountain Lake
At an elevation of 3,520m above sea level, Jiaming Lake is Taiwan’s second-highest mountain lake, and one of its biggest. It was once thought that the lake was created by a meteor strike, but it is now believed that it was formed by glacier movement during the last ice age.
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Alishan: Where the Sun Starts Its Day – A Journey into High-Mountain Alishan National Scenic Area
This Alishan three-day adventure begins on the island’s Western flatlands with visits to attractions located just before the gap in the mountain wall at the town of Chukou that gives access to the rugged, ever-higher peaks hiding beyond. Provincial Highway No. 18 takes you there, and we head upward and skyward along its dramatic twists to the area around the small settlement of Fenqihu, a place of great character whose original reason for being was to serve as a halfway station and timber-loading point on the Alishan Forest Railway, one of the world’s highest and most picturesque lines. The adventure ends far, far higher still, in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, the jewel in the Alishan crown.This Alishan three-day adventure begins on the island’s Western flatlands with visits to attractions located just before the gap in the mountain wall at the town of Chukou that gives access to the rugged, ever-higher peaks hiding beyond. Provincial Highway No. 18 takes you there, and we head upward and skyward along its dramatic twists to the area around the small settlement of Fenqihu, a place of great character whose original reason for being was to serve as a halfway station and timber-loading point on the Alishan Forest Railway, one of the world’s highest and most picturesque lines. The adventure ends far, far higher still, in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, the jewel in the Alishan crown.
Read MoreStairways to the Sky — Hiking Filial Son Mountain in New Taipei City’s Pingxi Area
The quaint old village of Pingxi (平溪), today officially the center of New Taipei City’s rural Pingxi District, is the penultimate station on the Pingxi Branch Railway Line, built early in the last century to transport coal mined in the surrounding hills. After coal mining in the Pingxi Valley ceased a few decades ago, the railway line escaped closure partly because it was a vital link with the outside world, but also because the area was becoming an increasingly popular tourist attraction
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