I visited Smangus this week to continue the research for my thesis. There were some significant changes in the village since my visit last year. The major one was the new classroom building near the main entrance to the village. Construction began in July last year and was completed in April. There are currently 12 students studying in the experimental branch of the Xinguang Primary School. The curriculum includes classes in Atayal language and traditional knowledge.

The building has a slate roof, rough sawn timber walls and a concrete foundation. Its combination of traditional materials and modern building techniques is in many ways a metaphor for the Smangus community which combines traditional Atayal culture with ideas from the modern world.

Although millet is no longer the main staple of the people in Smangus they still grow some millet each year. It was harvested recently and was being dried while I visited. Unfortunately it was too late for the peaches Smangus is famous for. The peach season had ended a couple of weeks earlier.

There was a group of young people on a trip organised through youthtravel.tw there at the time of my visit. I was able to join the activities with them. In the evening we watched the short film Msgamil: Once Upon a Time (泰雅千年) directed by Chen Wen-bin (陳文彬). This was the first film ever made in the Atayal language and tells the story of a village’s migration. It is beautifully produced and a good introduction to Atayal culture. You can learn more about it on the film’s website.

After the film there was a presentation about Atayal language and Smangus. I also saw this presentation again on the second night, although the content was a little different. On both nights they gave a lot of information about how the village of Smangus is organised. Smangus has a cooperative system where all members are paid an equal wage. There are other benefits too and students have their school fees paid and also receive an allowance. It draws on modern ideas such as the kibbutz in Israel, but also reflects the Atayal spirit of egalitarianism and teamwork.

On the second day I joined with a group to hike to the Yaya Qparung or group of ancient cypress trees. It was a beautiful morning. The altitude at Smangus means the temperatures at this time of the year are very pleasant and nothing like the extremes on the lowlands of Taiwan. The hike goes through both bamboo and forest. While there are some ups and downs there are no difficult or steep climbs. It is a 12 kilometre return journey and takes around five hours including time to appreciate the old trees.

The photo above shows the largest of the giant red cypress trees. It is 2,700 years old. The trees are in a hollow area that protects them from storms. The area has seven giant trees. Just like the ancient trees at Lala Shan they are an amazing sight.

The visit to Smangus gave me plenty more material for my thesis and even greater respect for the people there. There is so much that can be learnt from Smangus. It is in many ways a model for other indigenous communities in Taiwan and around the world.

*More photos have been added to the Smangus set at flickr.

• Smangus documentary to screen on PTS
• Second trip to Smangus
• Smangus and the tree stump
• Ethnographic films from Taiwan
• Books and films a window into Atayal culture

Wuliao Jian (五尞尖) in Sanxia (三峽) has been on my list of hikes to do for quite a while now. Beautiful weather made today the day I finally did it.

The hike goes along a spectacular ridge and it is not for the faint hearted. There are many sections that need to be climbed with the aid of ropes.

Here is a closer view of the ridge. Hikers are lined up here to use the ropes to descend down the other side of the ridge.

It is currently the peak of the Tung flower (桐花) season. In many places the trail was littered with a lovely carpet of Tung flowers.

This is the magnificent view of Sanxia and beyond from the summit of Wuliao Jian Shan (五尞尖山). The white patches amongst the green the Tung flower blossoms.

The summit is 639 metres above sea level. It was empty when we arrived, but it soon filled up with people. One observation was that most of the hikers were older, in their fifties or sixties. Getting up here is pretty physically demanding so you have to admire them for their fitness and determination.

If you plan on doing this hike be prepared. You need a good fitness level and to be able to confidently climb up and down some fairly steep rock faces with the aid of ropes. Wear good boots and carry plenty of water. Gloves would also be useful for holding the ropes. Don’t do the hike if the weather is wet.

*Neil Wade and Stu Dawson also have blog posts on this hike with great photos and description. More photos in the Wuliao Jian set at flickr.

• Hiking the Yinhe Cave Trail
• Hiking around Xindian & Maokong
• A monkey in the mountains
• Hiking in Wulai
• Taipei panorama

The Taipei Medical University is in the foreground of the photo. The area is within walking distance of Taipei 101. 

A crew from CTI TV (中天電視網) came to record Linda talking about the history of the area. They will produce a segment for a news magazine program. There was also a journalist from the United Daily News (聯合報) there. 

The first stop was the grave of Chiang Wei-shui (將渭水). Chiang died in 1931 at the age of 40. He was one of the most important figures in the Taiwanese Nationalist movement during the era of Japanese rule. The Taipei to Yilan Freeway is named in his honor.

The next place we stopped was an area were victims of the White Terror period were buried. Graves in this area were marked only by a small headstone. Linda said the bodies were originally just dumped in the area off the side of the road. If the family of the victim paid the police then sometimes they could find out where the body had been dumped.  

Another fascinating thing is the large number of Muslim graves. There is a large area for the family of Bai Chongxi (白崇禧), a Muslim KMT general. 

This photo gives a good overview of the area. A few hours was really only enough time to get a taste. You could easily spend days here or write an entire thesis about it. 

*more photos at flickr.

• Cycling the Tucheng loop
• Tibetans to lead peace walk in Taiwan
• Discovering more of Taipei
• Comics chronicle the history of Formosa
• Referendum march starts in Taipei

This morning I set out to explore some of the trails branching off from the Yinhe Cave trail. Above the Yinhe Cave (銀河洞) there is a branch of the trail pointing to Simiantou Shan (四面頭山). This trail is poorly made and there are no further signs. 

Part of the trail travels along the creek bed. 

When the trail reaches this old wooden bridge it branches in two directions. I initially took the branch to the left. It continues to follow the creek before going up.

I eventually came out on the shoulder between the peaks of Erge Shan (二格山) and Ejiaoge Shan (鵝角格山). The path I had come along had a sign pointing to Shiliufen (十六分) while in the other direction was the way to Zhinan Primary School and the Maokong Gondola Station. The peak of Erge Shan is topped by a huge electricity pylon while the peak of the Ejiaoge Shan is more natural. 

The view from up here is great. In the above photo you can see the Maokong Gondola Station at the bottom right. Muzha and NCCU are visible in the centre while you can also see Taipei 101. There was quite a lot of haze so Yangmingshan isn't visible in the background.

I returned along the Shiliufen trail that I had come up. When I got back to the old wooden bridge I explored the trail the branching off to the right.

I passed by this small shrine that had been placed in a hole cut out of a large rock. Not far past here I reached another mountain peak topped by a large electricity pylon. I am not sure if this was Simiantou Shan as there were no signs around. If the weather continues to be this fine I will be back in this area again very soon!  

*more photos at flickr.  

• Hiking the Yinhe Cave Trail
• Riding the Maokong Gondola
• Cable cars opening 4 July
• Banqiao to Xindian by bike
• Taipei panorama

There is some good news for cyclists from the Taipei MRT (via Rank). Cyclists can now take their bicycles on the blue line of the MRT. Some conditions still apply and it is only at certain stations. The MRT has also reduced the ticket price for bicycles and their riders to NT$80. Further details from the MRT website: 

To encourage passengers to visit scenic spots around Taipei on bikes, Taipei Metro has lowered its fare for passengers bringing bikes onboard the MRT during weekends and holidays from NT$100 to NT$80, per person and bike, and irrespective of the travel distance starting on Saturday, March 1, 2008. Taipei Metro has also increased the number of chartered stations where passengers are allowed to enter and exit the metro system with their bikes, from 15 to 27. The 12 newly chartered stations are located on the Banqiao, Nangang, Tuchen, and Xiaonanmen Lines.

This makes it a lot more convenient for cyclists all over Taipei to use the MRT to get out of the city. If you take the blue line out to Tucheng then you can easily ride out to Sanxia and beyond.

* * * * * 

Marc supplied me with a pdf version of the Taipei Metro’s Guide to Hiking and Cycling (5MB pdf file). This useful guide can sometimes be found in MRT stations. Some people might find it convenient to have it in a downloadable format. The guide gives details (in English) of hiking and cycling trails that are easily accessible from MRT stations. Marc pointed out to me that the guide is by no means complete as there are a number of trails not mentioned. There is a lot to discover in and around Taipei!

• Hiking the Yinhe Cave Trail
• Hiking on Wuliao Jian
• Bike Smiling in Taipei
• Green Party bike ride
• Taipei bike paths

The trail head is on a small road off Bei-Yi Road (北宜路)，also known as Route 9 — the road to Pinglin. It is only a short, but steep, hike up to the Yinhe Cave and Waterfall. This is quite a spectacular location with the temple built into the cliff and a waterfall flowing down beside it. 

After the waterfall he trail goes along a ridge through bamboo and tea gardens. It then reaches a point where it splits. One way leads to the Maokong Gondola Station. The other way goes to Dailaokeng Shan (待老坑山) and U-Theatre (優人禪鼓).  The signs in this area include coordinates making them easy to find with a GPS. I headed to Dailaokeng Shan. The summit of the mountain didn't afford any special views though. 

I captured this shot of a bird with the camera at full zoom (the photo has also been cropped). The bird is a Müller's Barbet (Megalaima oorti; 五色鳥).  I also saw a raptor on the hike. There are still many more trails to explore in the Xindian and Muzha area. I hope to hike some more of them soon.  

• Hiking around Xindian & Maokong
• Hiking in Tucheng
• A monkey in the mountains
• Hongludi trail in Zhonghe
• Hiking in Wulai

The first temple on the trail was the Guanyin Temple (觀音寺). It is not a small temple, but it is overshadowed by the larger temples above it. The next temple along the way was the Jingnan Temple (竟南宮). It is a huge sprawling complex with lots of colorful dragons on its roof.

At the top of the hill is the Nanshan Fude Temple (南山福德宮). It enjoys a commanding position on the top of the hill and was bustling with people praying and making offerings when I visited. The large statue of the Earth God (土地公) below the temple is a landmark visible from many places nearby. 

There are great views across Taipei from all of the temples but the views improve as you get higher up. Behind the Fude Temple there is a hiking trail that continues along the ridge. The trail can be followed to Yuantong Chan Temple, also in Zhonghe, on the other side of the valley. It is also possible to hike to Tucheng but this trail is not clearly marked. I might try and follow it all the way next time.  

• Travels in Zhonghe and Yonghe
• Hiking from Tucheng to Zhonghe
• Hiking in Tucheng
• Urban spaces, hidden places
• A monkey in the mountains

The trail actually starts about a kilometre from Gongliao. I passed by this nice river while walking along the road; the town is in the background. The area is very rural with little development although the fourth nuclear power plant is under construction not far from here (more about that later).  

The trail has several rocks which are carved with Chinese characters. The first one was "Boldly quell the wild mists" (雄鎮蠻煙) which has the distinction of being the largest stone inscription in Taiwan.

The second one was the Tiger Rock. It looked more like a sheep (羊) than a tiger (虎) to my eye! It is also related to the weather. The following text is from the nearby sign:

When Taiwan Regional Commander Liu Ming-deng arrived at the Caoling Pass during an inspection tour of northern Taiwan in 1867, he was buffetted by such strong wind and thick fog that he could not tell his directions. In accordance with the ancient Chinese saying "Clouds obey the dragon, wind obeys the tiger" (雲從龍﹐風從虎) he inscribed  the Chinese character for "tiger" to suppress the wind. Legend has it that Liu Ming-deng loved to write the character for tiger, and that his calligraphy indicated differences of gender. The "tiger" inscription written by him in the Bo'ai Road military compound in Taipei is male, while the "tiger" on this stone is female.

Maybe that explains why I couldn't read it correctly.  

Shortly after the Tiger Rock the trail goes through a pass in the mountains. This view is from above the pass. It is very windswept, but the views are gorgeous. You can see the sea in two directions, looking back down the pass to Fulong (福隆) and to Dali (大里) on the other side. 

The trail actually splits in two directions at the pass. One way follows the ridge line to the south and the other descends down to the coast at Dali.  

This is the view along the coast from Dali. I caught a train from Dali to Fulong.

There were a few surfers out at Fulong Beach but the waves were very small. There is a large and impressive temple that stands guard at the eastern end of the beach. 

It was a few years since I had last been to Fulong. The major change I noticed was the sight of the fourth nuclear power plant under construction not far away at the western end of the beach. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but you can see the construction activity. A recent article in the Taipei Times reports that the second nuclear reactor has been installed.

• A monkey in the mountains
• Hiking the Yinhe Cave Trail
• Hiking around Xindian & Maokong
• Hongludi trail in Zhonghe
• Hiking in Wulai

I took a few good panorama shots on my travels around Taiwan over the weekend. On Sunday afternoon I went out to Neihu with my friend Keith. We had a look around Dahu Park (大湖公園) which has a large lake in its centre (photo above). The Neihu MRT line is under construction along the edge of the lake. I was a bit disappointed to see that they haven't even completed pouring the concrete yet or started constructing the stations. At least with the line above ground it is easy to monitor the progress of the work. 

In the background of the photo of Dahu Park you can see the small mountain Kangle Shan (康樂山). We hiked up there and had a look around. The hiking trail seemed little used and from the top of the mountain it looked like you could hike all the way to the top of Yangmingshan without passing through any urban areas.

The last photo was taken at Xiao Wulai (小烏來) in Taoyuan County. It was taken near the viewing platform for the waterfall. The photo takes in the small town of Luofu (羅浮) and the Dahan River (大漢溪). Just downstream from here is the upper reaches of the Shimen Reservoir (石門水庫). There are also two bridges across the Dahan River which I captured in this panorama shot and in a bunch of other shots.

You can see more panorama shots in my photo gallery and also at flickr.  

• Taipei panorama
• Hiking in a different light
• The sun sets on 2006
• New photo gallery
• Some photos from Taiwan

After entering I passed the Luohao Dam (羅好水壩). This dam diverts water via a tunnel to the hydro-electric power station at Wulai. The water of the dam is an amazing color of blue-green. I am not sure how well my photo captured it, but it really is beautiful.

Beyond the dam I came to the Neidong Waterfall. This waterfall has three levels although the third and lowest level is hardly significant. The other two levels are very impressive though. I came here a few years ago and many people were swimming in the waterfall and climbing on the rocks. However, they now appear to have restricted access and people were only using the paths and viewing platforms. It is a popular spot, particularly as getting there only involves a one kilometre walk along a wide, flat path. 

Wanting to get away from the crowds I started walking up the Green Shower Hiking Trail (森林浴步道). This trail winds up the mountain side above the waterfalls.  It passes through some lovely forest on the way. It took me about an hour to walk to the top at a fairly relaxed pace taking lots of photos along the way.  The end of the trail isn't anything special. I thought it might go to the top of a mountain with a stunning view, but it ends kind of abruptly when the trail meets a dirt road. I am not sure that the road leads anywhere, as a man came along the trail and said it came to a dead end. I guess in the other direction it connects to somewhere. 

The walk back down was faster. I stopped to appreciate the waterfall and dam a little more before getting back to my motorbike and heading home.  

• Xiao Wulai waterfall
• Cycling to Wulai
• Wonderful Wulai
• Some panorama photos
• Cycling along the Tonghou River