Mount Dabaijian

Mount Dabaijian

Mount Dabaijian is part of Taiwan’s Snow Mountain Range. Among the renowned Taiwan Hundred Peaks, it is collectively known as one of the “Three Sharp Peaks” along with Central Peak and Dafen Peak. Currently, Mount Dabaijian and Snow Mountain are within Shei-Pa National Park. Taiwan’s indigenous Atayal and Saisiyat peoples firmly believe that Mount Dabaijian is the birthplace of their ancestors and have long revered it as a sacred mountain.

With its cylindrical mountain shape, sheer cliffs on all sides, and barren surface, Mount Dabaijian’s unique form has earned it the reputation of Taiwan’s “Century Peak.”

As Mount Dabaijian is regarded as a sacred ancestral birthplace by the Atayal and Saisiyat peoples, climbing to the summit was traditionally prohibited until the first successful ascent by a Japanese mountaineering team in 1927.

One of the reasons Mount Dabaijian attracts climbers is its stunning geological landscape. From the summit, you can see the massive rock pinnacles formed by the weathering of hard sandstone on both Mount Dabaijian and Little Dabaijian. This landscape of thick rock formations rising from horizontal strata is a rare sight in Taiwan’s high mountains.

Moreover, along the climbing route, varying altitudes allow you to witness broadleaf forests, mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests, and coniferous forests. You may also encounter Taiwan’s native cypress forests, known as the “Mist Forest,” where red cypresses and hinoki cypresses intermingle to create vast forested areas — one of the most enchanting sights of Mount Dabaijian. Coupled with its rich animal biodiversity, Mount Dabaijian has become a much-coveted pilgrimage site for hikers.

Shei-Pa National Park centers around Snow Mountain and Mount Dabaijian. The park stretches from Luoyewei Mountain in the east to Dongxishui Mountain in the west, reaches Yuluowei Mountain in the south, and borders Jingjiegou Mountain in the north, covering a total area of about 76,850 hectares. It includes the Guanwu Recreation Area

(in Wufeng and Jianshi townships, Hsinchu County), the Xueshan Recreation Area (in Tai’an Township, Miaoli County), and the Wuling Recreation Area (in Heping Township, Taichung County).