🇹🇼 Jiufen and Northeastern Hikes
Swings and roundabouts
I was excited to hike in Taiwan. Lots of people recommended it to me, and all the photos I’ve seen of the nature here had a unique quality to them. My plans were quickly stifled, however, after finding out that most of the longer hikes require permits that must be obtained months in advance. Trespassing wasn’t an option either, with there being frequent permit checks. I needed a plan B.
I found two day hikes that don’t require a permit in northeastern Taiwan. They were also conveniently located close to Jiufen, so I made a huge day out of completing both and finishing my day in Jiufen. Jiufen is an old town close to Taipei, mostly visited for its resemblance to the spirit realm in Spirited Away (some people say it inspired Miyazaki, but he denies that). As Spirited Away is one of my favourite films, I had to visit Jiufen.
Caoling Historic Trail
The Caoling Historic Trail is an old mountain path between two towns, with some old artefacts on the way, such as Qing Dynasty rock carvings. The trail was pretty easy to plan – AllTrails had a decent map, and the Taiwan Trails and Tails website had some good practical information. I used both websites to plan the rest of my hikes in Taiwan.
Most people I met who have been to Taiwan have told me that it’s very hard to visit without a car. I found that this can’t be further from the truth. Maybe things have improved a lot in recent years, but I was able to get everywhere without a problem by buses and trains. I never had to pre-book anything either. In Taiwan, you just tap on and off public transport with a transport card (called an “EasyCard”, but there are others that do the same thing). Some transport was infrequent, but I only ever had to wait for 30 minutes max. Between Citymapper (which works nationwide!) and Google Maps, I got a comprehensive view of the routes available.
Anyway, equipped with a bunch of 7-Eleven onigiri, I was ready for the big day. The Caoling trail was pretty straightforward - there were a bunch of steps up and then a pretty chill way down. The trail was pretty quiet, too, and I passed a bunch of friendly Taiwanese people. There were some pavilions you could rest in at the top, which visually were a highlight of the trail.
The scenery was really nice here, with rolling hills all around, and the grass being various shades of green. There was a lot of insect wildlife on the trail too - mostly huge grasshoppers, tiny colourful lizards, and small frogs.
Teapot Mountain Trail
After Caoling, I got a train and a bus to the next trailhead for the Teapot Mountain Trail (route on AllTrails). This trail started with a bunch of steps again, which in the 34-degree humid heat required some breaks. At the top, there was a red-stained rock that you had to scramble through to get to the top.
I chatted to a few Taiwanese people up here, as there was an option to continue the trail into Banping Mountain. This one is a bit more technical, requiring some climbing with ropes and walking on a ridge. Given the wet conditions, nobody was taking the route, so I didn’t either. The views from up here were amazing anyway.
There was also a guy here who hiked the whole thing with two parrots on his shoulders. He was completely unbothered by the hike, and I asked to take a photo of him on my film camera (which you might see in 3-9 months).
Jiufen
Back down from the teapot mountain, it was one short bus back to the Jiufen old street. I really wasn’t impressed by Jiufen; the town consisted of a bunch of tight alleys with everyone selling tat. It reminded me a lot of Furong in China - effectively a manufactured tourist attraction. I went to the end of the street and hung out in an old teahouse that a friend, big Dom, recommended after his visit a few years ago. It felt family-run and was old, with floorboards creaking as I walked. The tea was great, too - I got some local dongding oolong tea. This teahouse was my favourite part of visiting Jiufen.
The mark of a good authentic place, too, is the existence of poo and no-poo toilets. This teahouse had exactly that.
Once the sun set, I met up with some from nearby hostels, and we explored the town together. The sunset was beautiful, but to be honest, the town itself was a disappointment. It was even busier at night, and didn’t look much like the photos of the town you see online (if you look them up, note that they’re pretty much all taken from one point).
We ended up hanging out at the same teahouse I went to earlier. With some of the town lit up with lanterns and the teahouse still not being very busy, it was the perfect way to finish my big day.
