Qilai Mountain stands at an elevation of 3,560 meters, ranking 20th among Taiwan’s Hundred Peaks. It is located at the border between Nantou and Hualien in Taiwan. When viewed from Hehuanshan, the mountain appears massive and pitch-black due to being backlit by the sun, exuding an awe-inspiring presence. Qilai Mountain is notorious for its rugged terrain and unpredictable weather and fog, making it one of the areas in Taiwan with the highest incidence of mountain accidents. Hence, it is also known as the "Black Qilai Mountain."
Renowned adventure writer Liu Chuan-yu shared a chilling supernatural experience during a TV program. In 1976, eight students went hiking on Qilai Mountain but had to retreat due to Typhoon Bella. One of them, Li Yicheng, was too exhausted and had an injured foot, so he was left behind in a cave for shelter. The other seven went down the mountain to seek help, but most couldn’t make it, and only one person managed to reach Songxue Lodge to call for rescue.
At that time, mountaineering expert Lin Liang-chuan and the police immediately organized a search and rescue team. The group found the cave where Li Yicheng had taken shelter and followed his footprints toward the valley. There, they discovered Li Yicheng sitting on a rock. Overjoyed, one of the female rescuers from Donghai University rushed forward and patted him on the back, saying, "Li Yicheng, come home with me." The moment she touched him, Li Yicheng collapsed — he had been dead for some time.
Lin Liang-chuan was instantly terrified because a corpse cannot respond to being called by name. Realizing that the deceased Li Yicheng had reacted to the words "come home with me," he knew something bad was bound to happen. After finding the body and notifying the police, the group didn’t have time to descend the mountain and had to spend the night in a cabin. Uneasy, they even tied the door shut with wire before going to bed. In the middle of the night, the female student got up to use the toilet and opened the door to see the deceased Li Yicheng standing there — still wearing the clothes he died in, his face covered in dirt. Lin Liang-chuan then said to him, "We’ve found you, you’ve completed your mission, and we’ll tell your school that you’re done. Don’t scare us anymore." Only then did Li Yicheng slowly walk away. To this day, no one knows whether what they saw that night was a corpse or a ghost.