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A Green Path With Echoes of History – Jiantanshan Hiking Trail (TAIPEI QUARTERLY 2018 AUTUMN Vol.13)

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Post date:2018-09-11

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A Green Path With Echoes of History –
Jiantanshan Hiking Trail

 

Article Zhong Wenping

Photos Li Zhiwei, Taipei City Government Department of Information and Tourism

TAIPEI AUTUMN 2018 Vol.13 A Green Path With Echoes of History –  Jiantanshan Hiking TrailJiantanshan Hiking Trail is well-developed and suitable for people of all ages. (Photo: Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government)
 

Situated on the west range of Wuzhi Mountain System (五指山系), Jiantanshan Hiking Trail’s highest point is 206 meters above sea level. Whether you take the MRT Tamsui-Xinyi Line (捷運淡水信義線) or drive via Zhongshan Highway, you will see the abundant woods surrounding the Grand Hotel Taipei. In its early days, the Yuanshan-Jiantan neighborhood was a conservation zone under military control, and the common people weren’t allowed to hang around. Radio Taiwan International, Navy headquarters, National Revolutionary Martyrs Shrine of R.O.C. (忠烈祠) and National Defense University were all in this neighborhood. After martial law was lifted, the access to this mountain area was loosened too. People could then hike the 15-kilometer Jinmianshan Hiking Trail (金面山親山步道), from Jiantanshan ridge, over Wenjianshan (文間山), Jiandaoshishan (剪刀石山), and Jinmianshan to the Jinlong Tunnel Entrance (金龍隧道口). With its easy access via local transportation, and the stable condition of the path, Jiantanshan Hiking Trail became the most popular of all Taipei trails.

 

A Hidden Gem With Green Woods, Chirping Birds and Easy Access

The entrance to this hiking trail is right next to Jiantan Park (劍潭公園). After you leave MRT Jiantan Station (捷運劍潭站) Exit 2, simply walk through the archway of Yuanshan Scenic Area (圓山風景區) kitty corner from the station, and follow the stone steps up. Not long after, you’ll walk past a couple of houses and find yourself on a high hill shaded by many trees. The MRT commercial circle and the tall buildings you passed just a few minutes ago are now far beneath you.

Once a woodland under security control, Jiantanshan has preserved a complete forest ecosystem. According to the Taiwan Nature Trail Society, there are mainly examples of herb and secondary forest growth. The highest tree layer is composed of incense nanmu and red nanmu. Growing under the trees are shade-tolerant plants, such as lady palm and wild coffee. If you look up, you might see squirrels jumping from branch to branch. You may also hear the happy chirping of the Japanese white-eye, the barbet and the blue magpie. This trail has become a natural foraging and hunting path for animals, and helps create this rich ecological environment.


TAIPEI AUTUMN 2018 Vol.13 A Green Path With Echoes of History –  Jiantanshan Hiking TrailThe Old Place Viewing Platform is a must-visit on Jiantanshan Hiking Trail.
 

Let’s Go Hiking and Meet at the Old Place!

Walking the trail, you can hear the song of the cicada, and often people singing too! For some reason, this former military area is now a prime destination for morning exercise groups, badminton clubs and Karaoke enthusiasts, making it a kind of “outdoor living room/gym.” This area has the greatest concentration of such groups anywhere in the mountains of suburban Taipei. Strolling along the trail is like entering a mountain cabaret – a rare experience you won’t find on any other mountain.

Walk for another 30 minutes or so and you’ll reach the belvedere where you can gaze at downtown Taipei from the highest point of the trail – a spot many hikers call “the old place.” From your 180-degree vantage point, you can watch planes taking off and landing at Taipei Songshan Airport (台北松山機場). The boats idling along Keelung River (基隆河), the brightly-colored MacArthur Bridge (麥帥橋), Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園), Taipei 101, Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山) its like a 3D map of the city right in front of you! With such a view and with its formidable strategic position, it’s no wonder Jiantanshan was once a politically-sensitive area, and has now morphed into a hiking trail with such unique history and humanity!


Jiantanshan Hiking Trail

Location Next to MRT Jiantan Station Bus Stop, Sec. 4, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin District

Total length About 3.3 km.

Walking time About 1.5 hours (It varies from person to person.

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