Classic Itineraries
Discover Hidden Gems – Majestic Pines Greet Visitors
The steep Mount Tai is best climbed on foot and descended by cable car; hiking down is extremely treacherous—you could easily tumble all the way from the South Heaven Gate to the Opening Mountain if you slip. The Midway Gate to Heaven is a stone memorial archway built during the Qing Dynasty, featuring two pillars and a single gate, also known as the Second Heaven Gate. It stands on Huangxian Ridge at an elevation of 847 meters. Midway Gate to Heaven – Starting Point of Attractions The Midway Gate to Heaven is the junction of the eastern and western routes up Mount Tai. The eastern route begins at Red Gate Palace, while the western route starts from Tianwai Village, which is accessible via an asphalt road with tourist buses that can take you to the Midway Gate to Heaven. By the time you reach the Midway Gate to Heaven, you’ve already completed half of the climb (the more gentle and manageable half), and the most exciting part of the journey begins here—most of the scenic spots and historical sites lie along the path from the Midway Gate to Heaven to the South Heaven Gate. Particularly important: There is a cable car (aerial tramway) available between the Midway Gate to Heaven and the summit’s South Heaven Gate. To the southwest, there is also the Zhongxi Hotel offering accommodations.
Discover Hidden Sceneries – The South Heaven Gate
Don't easily give up on climbing Mount Tai on a rainy day — you'll often witness breathtaking sea of clouds at this time. And if you're lucky enough to catch a sunrise above the sea of clouds, that's even better. The South Heaven Gate is located at the top of the Eighteen Bends, nestled in a low valley between Flying Dragon Rock and Soaring Phoenix Ridge, flanked by twin peaks as if a celestial gate has opened. It consists of two levels: the lower level is an arched gateway, while the upper level features a pavilion that adds to its majestic and imposing appearance.
Six Foreign Hikers Rescued After Getting Lost on Yuanzui Mountain
Six foreign hikers, who worked at an English cram school, lost their way in the Yuanzui Mountain area on the sixth. After police received the report, a rescue team was formed to search for them but was unable to locate them. It wasn’t until the evening of the seventh that rescuers noticed a faint light at the mountain’s summit. They urgently used flashlights to reflect light back in Morse code to confirm the location, eventually finding three of the hikers. The remaining members were located yesterday morning. The six foreign hikers trapped at the snowy mountain peak huddled closely together, singing songs and encouraging one another—this was the scene that the Heping District Police Rescue Team encountered when they reached the summit and found them at six o’clock yesterday morning. Police said all the stranded hikers were completely soaked and very frightened. Among them, Milan, a Canadian, had also twisted his leg and broke down in tears upon seeing the rescuers. Police said the other three hikers found at six o’clock yesterday morning
The timing of my trip to Taiwan may not be far off — what I most want to do is climb Yushan (Jade Mountain).
Of course I am willing to go to Taiwan, to walk around, take a look, interact with the people there, chat with them, understand the actual situation in Taiwan, and listen to everyone’s genuine feelings and views about the mainland. This was the response of Wang Yi, Director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, when asked when he would visit Taiwan. He said that this is essential work for anyone engaged in cross-strait affairs. But Wang also said that if the timing is not quite right, or if his visit to Taiwan were to stir up social division or increase social costs, that is not his intention and there is no need for it. Whether it's me going to Taiwan or Ms. Lai (Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan) coming here, both are possible. It depends on the time, timing, and conditions. He believes that the timing won’t be very far off. If given the opportunity to visit Taiwan, Wang said he would definitely first engage with all sectors of Taiwanese society, especially the general public.
Miaoli’s Final Sprint: Downing Claims Victory
The fifth stage of the 2010 Tour de Taiwan was fiercely competitive. The mountainous roads of Miaoli didn’t slow down the riders, but Feng Jun-kai from Taiwan’s Giant Pro Cycling Team surprisingly lost his King of the Mountains jersey in his hometown. Meanwhile, David McCann from the Giant Asia Racing Team narrowly defended his yellow jersey. The stage winner was Downing from the British Rapha Condor team. Taiwan’s Giant Pro Cycling Team coach Rod Ellingworth once said: “The second half of the Tour de Taiwan better reveals the strength of foreign riders.” Indeed, the Miaoli stage, with the longest distance (157.31 km) and highest elevation (507 m), turned into a battle between Europe and Asia, with fierce competition among European, Japanese, and Hong Kong riders—even Hong Kong’s Wong Kam-po joined the fray. The race route in Miaoli transitioned from the mountainous Route 3 road to the flat coastal roads of Tongxiao, then back to Yuanli and Sanyi via Route 3.
Wearing a red jersey, Feng Chun-kai defends the King of the Mountains title
In the third stage of the 2010 Tour de Taiwan, Taiwanese teams put on a strong performance, raising the profile of the island's cycling squad. The Giant Asia Racing Team retained the yellow jersey, while Feng Chun-kai of the Taiwan-based Action Cycling Team became the first Taiwanese rider since 1997 and 2004 to don the red polka-dot jersey of the King of the Mountains. Feng Chun-kai said: "I stuck to my plan during the climbs, staying at the front of the peloton, and then made my move in the final 300 meters." Although he currently ranks fifth in the overall standings, his coach wants him to hold onto one title, so Feng will have to fight hard for points at upcoming mountain stages. He stated: "I’ll wear the red jersey all the way to the end of the race." Taiwan Action Cycling Team coach Rudi Schreurs commented: "Feng Chun-kai’s personality is very similar to that of Chen Dengdian. I have high hopes for his abilities." Tomorrow, the Tour de Taiwan enters the Miaoli leg, which features three mountain scoring points — conveniently, Miaoli is Feng’s hometown. "I’m familiar with some of the sections," said Feng, who has trained on the Miaoli route more than six times.
Taiwan's Frontline Shines Bright as Feng Jun-kai Delivers Impressive Cycling Performance
Taiwan’s newly established Frontline Cycling
Club: Freshmen at Mainland Universities Are Spoilt for Choice
Peking University’s largest club—the Mountain Eagle Club—has become the most formidable civilian mountaineering organization on the mainland. Established in 1989, it is the first student club on the mainland primarily focused on mountaineering and rock climbing. In the Taiwanese film Blue Gate Crossing, Chen Bolin, who plays Zhang Shihao, chases after Gwei Lun-mei’s character, A-Meng, and shouts: “My name is Zhang Shihao, I’m a Scorpio, blood type O, I’m on the swimming team, in the guitar club. I’m pretty great, you know!” Clubs like the swimming team and guitar club, symbols of youthful vigor, are classic highlights of university memories. In Taiwan, due to academic pressures, few high school students join clubs. But in university, to pursue interests, broaden horizons, make friends, and develop skills, almost everyone joins at least one club. The same goes for students on the mainland. As early as 2005, 59.7% of university students on the mainland participated in campus clubs, with an average of 1.8 clubs per student.
Scanned: Hiking group lost - Rescued by police and firefighters
Hsinchu County: Five hikers from Taipei County — Tseng Tang-yin and four others — set out together on the seventh to climb Bird’s Beak Mountain in the Maowudu area of Guanxi. They got lost while following rope markers left by previous hikers. New Taipei County Police Precinct received a report earlier that afternoon, deployed over twenty police officers, volunteer firefighters, and rescuers into the mountains, and after ten hours of searching, finally located the group and escorted them down the mountain.
Illegal Charges: Grand Hotel Taipei Heavily Penalizes Hikers
On the 4th, Taipei city councilors were accompanied by dozens of residents who held up signs such as “Beggars Driving Out Temple Keepers” and “Hiking Requires Paying Toll Fees” in front of the Grand Hotel Taipei archway. They protested against the hotel’s continued illegal collection of toll fees despite its expired parking permit, demanding the hotel immediately halt charges and return hiking rights to the public. The business acknowledged the oversight of operating with an expired license and stated they would refund the public, while the municipal government decided to issue a fine of at least NT$3,000. Taipei City Councilor Chen Jian-ming said that the government spent NT$200 million renovating the Yangmingshan Scenic Area, yet citizens exercising on the mountain now have to pay an hourly parking fee of NT$80. There was also a monk who stayed at a temple for three days but ended up having to pay over NT$3,000 in parking fees. He questioned how the Grand Hotel Taipei had effectively taken over the land, demanding the municipal government protect the rights of residents in the Yangmingshan area, as the mountains ultimately belong to the people of Taipei. Expired Parking Registration Permits, Yet Fees Still Collected
Mountain climbing taught him humility.
Hiking, rock climbing, photography, painting, and reading historical books — these vastly different leisure activities are all among Zhang Yuanbin’s interests, but hiking has had the most profound impact on him.
Master the art of conquering Taiwan’s peaks — learn at the Mountain School
Taiwan is a mountainous country, home to three high-mountain national parks: Taroko, Yushan, and Shei-Pa. While mountaineering activities are popular, the lack of systematic and comprehensive mountaineering education has led to frequent mountain accidents and unfortunate casualties. The Taroko National Park Administration held the inauguration ceremony for the Mountain School yesterday. Director You Deng-liang stated that the Mountain School is expected to take Taiwanese mountaineering education a big step forward. Mountain enthusiasts will gain proper mountaineering concepts and skill training, and the administration hopes to foster a friendly mountain environment and facilities. You Deng-liang pointed out that Taiwan has rugged terrain, with mountains covering two-thirds of the island. Seventy-six of Taiwan’s Hundred Peaks are also located within national park areas. The Mountain School will integrate government and private resources to guide the public in learning outdoor mountain activities. It will also gather top-notch instructors, introduce foreign techniques and experience, and serve as a training base for Taiwan to advance into international mountaineering activities.
Scanning the city—Taroko National Park establishes a mountaineering school
Hualien: Taiwan’s first mountaineering school organized by a national park will be established on the 28th at Lushui in Taroko National Park. Its mission is to promote mountain climbing skills among the public, as well as to take on the tasks of training and certifying national park conservation rangers and mountain guides, and exploring Taiwan’s high mountains and ecology.
Take the metro with ease for a light hiking trip
A high-altitude sightseeing trip in Xindian is entirely metro-accessible. Visitors can get off at Xindian District Office Station, walk to the Shitoushan hiking entrance on Binlang Road, and complete the hike up Shitoushan and Daxiangshan in about two hours. After descending, exit the hiking trail and walk along Zhongxing Road toward Xindian Metro Station to reach Guangming Temple. After visiting the temple, you can return home from Xindian Metro Station or take a bus toward Wulai to continue your journey.
Shen Wencheng goes fishing five days a week, his wife furious and locks him out
Obsessed with fishing, Shen Wencheng almost abandoned his family. At the height of his passion, he drove his Porsche sports car five days a week, hauling fishing gear up mountains and down to the sea. His wife, furious, locked him out and dumped all his fishing equipment at their doorstep. He said, “Later, I wrote the song ‘Song of the Little River’ while fishing and even won an award. That’s when she stopped being angry and let me keep fishing.” In recent years, he hosted the show “The Great Adventurer” on GTV for seven years, taking cameras to Taiwan’s famous peaks. Whenever he encountered a stream in the mountains, he would pull out his fishing gear from his backpack for a quick try, catching mountain whitefish and river trout, enjoying the thrill of the tug before releasing them back into the stream. During this time, due to the immense pressure on his knees from frequent mountain hikes and descents, he developed a hard-to-cure occupational injury: “My knees would often swell up like steamed buns. The doctor suggested I get hyaluronic acid injections—extracted from rooster combs—that could keep the pain away for half a year, but I was afraid of needles, so in the end…”
Feng Jun-kai Gains Confidence Ahead of East Asian Games
Feng Jun-kai, a top domestic cyclist specializing in track and road racing, only competes in mountain biking twice a year. Yesterday, he made a stunning debut at the mountain bike marathon event of the Merida Cup Cycling Race, overtaking a host of European and American riders. He finished as runner-up, only beaten by Hannes Genze, the European mountain bike marathon champion, earning valuable confidence ahead of his East Asian Games competition tomorrow. The 2009 Merida Cup Cycling Race’s mountain bike marathon attracted international elite riders from Norway, the United States, Germany, Spain, and Japan, showcasing a high level of competition. At just 171 cm tall, Feng Jun-kai looked like a little brother among the towering foreign cyclists at the starting line and was quite unremarkable.
Hard soles
The soles of cycling and hiking shoes are mostly hard. I asked the shoe store clerk in puzzlement, why are the soles designed this way?
China Music Valley? The Full Lineup of the 2013 Beijing Midi Festival – Qing Stage
The Hit ― Hailing from Chengdu, formed in late 2008, blending a heavy dose of Grunge with a touch of Garage. Grunge and Garage are two distinct styles that many people can’t tell apart, and what they aim to do is make it even harder to distinguish. Nobility ― All five members are from music colleges in Shenyang. They love life...
China Music Valley? The Full Lineup of 2013 Beijing Midi Festival on the TIGER Song Stage
Central Station ― Central Station (Central Station), symbolizing departure and return ― is a rock band with a retro style. Based in Chengdu. The lead vocalist Shrine Den and drummer Muse Ji are both from Yunnan, guitarist Jimmy Lee is from Guangxi, and keyboardist Tears (Yan Lei) is ...
China Music Valley? The Full Lineup of 2013 Beijing Midi Festival on the VANS Tang Stage
Monkey Legion (Champions of the 2012 Midi National Campus Band Competition) ― There are many who share the same dreams, but few who walk the same path. We do what we love, stick to our common goal, and music is our attitude. Those who can persevere in their dreams and never give up are the most precious. Not following the tide and holding firm to one’s beliefs is the ultimate way. ...