A hike in the deep woods of Wulai 烏來的拔刀爾山

Hiking might not be the first thing that people think of when it comes to Taiwan. However, as I've just recently discovered, Taiwan is really a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. The geography of Taiwan is really magnificent. The middle part of this island country is mostly mountainous, plus the tropical climate makes the perfect home to many different plants and trees. Waterfalls are ubiquitous in many hikes, yet one can never be tired of them.
Since I am still a novice when it comes to the many trails and hikes in Taiwan, I decided to do some research. The newspaper usually lists the different hikes that regional hiking associations hold on the weekends. Also luckily for me, one of my parents' friends is an experienced and skilled hiker. He recommended to me a hike this past Sunday in the township of Wulai with the National Alpine Association of Taiwan. It is a considered "B grade", meaning a moderate hike. I decided to try it out and see what real hiking is like in Taiwan.
Only an hour and a half's Metro-rail and bus ride away from my place is the start to a beautiful hiking in Wulai. The township of Wulai is located in Taipei County, and is the home to the aboriginal tribe of Atayal. Wulai literally translates into hot and poisonous, and is famous for its hot springs and beautiful mountains. The area is also full of cultural events and activities. However, I would recommend going on a weekday in order to avoid the weekend crowds!


The group met a 8:30am at one of the bus stops. Quickly I realized that I was probably the only one in the group that was under the age of 40. The majority of the hikers were over 60, I must say I'm impressed. But seriously, has hiking become an activity of the older generation in Taiwan?

My parents' friend Mr. Lin (no relation here!) was also present. We started heading to the trail at around 8:45pm. We took the "backdoor" route to get to the hike. I was immediately drawn the the beauty that surrounded me. Everywhere I took it was green. Only the sound of flowing water and the chirping of birds surrounds our group of hikers.

The first part of the trail was fairly crowded, there were a couple of other groups. About 5 minutes into the hike, we came across the first of the many waterfalls on the way. The first half hour of the hike was on easy terrain. But our guide quickly reminded us that this is only the "appetizer" part of the hike, we are no where close to the main course. I was excited and anxious to see what lies ahead.

We finally reached a cabin where many people were cooking up soup and noodles, boy did it smell good! Apparently THAT was the beginning of our trail head. From there on it was all up hill. What made the hike extremely difficult was the slippery and wet terrain. This was probably my first experience with hiking in a tropical mountain. This section of the hike was pretty empty for a Sunday morning. The trail was rather narrow and the plants were constantly brushing against me throughout the hike. "Curse me for not bringing back my hiking shoes," I thought to myself. I was wearing my mom's running shoes, and needless to say I was slipping the entire way.

I was impressed with the endurance of my fellow hikers. Most of them seemed to be pretty experienced. I was even more in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. I was completely surrounded by the forest. We must've came across 3 waterfalls; each with its own beauty both in sight and sound.

We reached the 1117 meter summit at around 12:30pm. There were already 4 or 5 people there already. I brought 2 rice balls, a yogurt, and a packet of crackers that I bought from the convenience store for lunch. However, other people were cooking up traditional Taiwanese noodles, rice, and clam soup. What a feast! I was obviously a newbie...
My fellow hikers at lunch time.

The Summit

After lunch, I was energized once again. It was also comforting to know that the rest of the way would be downhill!!! It took us another hour and a half to hike down to the temple, called 保慶宮. From the temple down to Wulai is still another 8 km. 3 of the guys decided to walk down, so I followed suit. My adrenaline was still running high, so I started jogging on the parts that ran steeply downhill. Midway through the walk, a car stopped, the 3 guys had hitchhiked, and had room for one more, so I jumped on with them.

The Temple

I'm glad I did, because the way down was a lot farther than I thought. I wish I had a car though, because on the way there were many farms and aboriginal villages. It would have been quite an experience to go in and see them. Oh well, another reason to go back one day!
One I got down to Wulai, I spent some time walking around. However, after being in the mountains for 5 hours, the heavy traffic of tourists started to irk me. I headed toward the bus stop, which already had a line of people. I finally got back home at around 6pm. Funny thing was, I wasn't even tired!
I had just spent a great day hiking and being out in nature. There is still much to be discovered, and I can only hope that one day I would know the mountains of Taiwan like it was my backyard.

A walk in historic Taipei: Monga Area

I recently bought a book called "慢城台北" which translates into "Slow city, Taipei". Slow and Taipei? It seems to me that those 2 words should never belong in the same sentence, not to mention a title! But yest, amidst all the people, food stands, uneven building structures and chaos in Taipei, there is much history to be explored. The author explores 25 historic buildings and streets of Taipei. I decided to retrace his steps in the 艋舺 Monga area and beyond this past Sunday. As people shop away at the annual sale at the Fuxing Sogo department store, I once again avoided the crowd and went on another walking adventure to discover my city.
It's funny how one can look at things from a different perspective. I have seen most of these buildings before, but never really gave it a second thought. However, the more I learn about it, the more I become interested. I'm sure a lot of people think that I'm crazy to spend 3 hours walking around looking at buildings, but for me it's an eye-opening discovery experience.
I took the MRT to the National Taiwan University Hospital station which takes me to my first stop.

1. The National Taiwan University Hospital: Old Site

This building was built in 1916 and still serves as

a hospital today. The magnificent red color of the bricks isn't overpowering and makes the building stand out to its surroundings.

Below shows the decoration of fruits on the building.

Courtyard: a nice area for patients to walk about.

2. The Control Yuan of Taiwan

Built in 1915, the Control Yuan was used as an area government building during the Japanese colonization. The architecture is in the Baroque style. For more information on its architecture go to http://www.cy.gov.tw/build/index.html

3. Zhongshan Hall
Built in 1936, it used to be called the Taipei City Public Auditorium under the Japanese rule. The building used steel-concrete which makes it resistant to fire, earthquakes, and typhoons. It was renamed "Zhongshan Hall" under the KMT rule. Today it is used as a venue for concerts and cultural and official events.
http://english.zsh.taipei.gov.tw/MP_119062.html
Outside on the plaza, there were many teenagers practicing skateboarding and riding their bikes on a Sunday afternoon. A good use of public space?
4. Longshan Temple

The name Longshan temple directly translates in "Dragon Mountain Temple." The original temple was built back in 1738. However because of earthquakes, storms as well as termite infestations it has gone under several renovations. The temple that stands today was rebuilt in 1919 and finished in 1924. Longshan temple was originally a Buddhist temple, however, throughout the years it has incorporated many Taoist deities. The grounds of the temple is rather spacious. It includes 3 halls: The forehall, the main hall, and the rear hall which was added at the end of the 18th century. Not only does Longshan temple serve as a center of the people's religious beliefs, it is also an architectural masterpiece. Longshan temple was given the honor of "second grade" historical site in 1985.

It was nearing 5pm in the afternoon, the sky was getting dark. I was expecting Longshan Temple to be relatively less rowdy than usual. But boy was I wrong. There people lined up to pray. Long tables of snacks and food were laid out (my favorite was a box of Mr. Donuts). It was hard to get a good picture of anything because of the crowd. There were tourists at the same time trying to get a good look at the beautifully crafted temple.


5. Bo Pi Liao

Alright, so I know the name Bo Pi Liao probably doesn't make much sense. But this historical area which is a few blocks down from Longshan temple is a crucial center in the development of Taipei. The very first stores and medical clinics in Taipei were all set up in this area. Today one can still see the remnants of the architectural structures. The city government has also created some reproductions of the old storefronts that used to stand and operate on its exact spot. It was almost like walking down the streets of Taipei decades ago...

The Main Entrance

Poster of an old Taiwanese movie

Reproduction of a Street Food stand

After hours and hours of walking and site-seeing, needless to say I was exhausted. However, I couldn't help feeling jubilant at the same time. I had just had a great tour of the city thanks to a great book and my 2 legs. The best part is discovering new things about the city that I had never noticed before. There is still much to see and learn, but Sunday's excursion was a great starting point!