To attract domestic tourists for in-depth travel experiences, the Taichung City Government has launched the “Four-Ring Bicycle Trail” and “Hundred-Mile Mountain Hiking Trail” initiatives, establishing four major cycling networks: the “Small Ring,” “Medium Ring,” “River Loop,” and “Mega Ring,” along with 13 new hiking trails. Among them, the Mountain Line, Coastal Line, and Phase I of Fengyuan Boulevard have been completed, with the rest of the cycling and hiking trails expected to be fully completed by 2020.
Chen Yu-cheng, Deputy Director of the Tourism and Travel Bureau, gave a special presentation on the “Four-Ring Bicycle Trail” and “Hundred-Mile Mountain Hiking Trail” initiatives during the municipal government meeting on the 17th.
Chen Yu-cheng explained that the city’s four-ring bicycle trail network includes the Fengyuan Boulevard Bicycle Trail (Small Ring, 12 km), the Tan-Ya-Shen Bicycle Trail (Medium Ring, 45 km), the River Loop Bicycle Trail (Large Ring, 76 km), and the Mountain Line, Coastal Line, and Jiahou Line Bicycle Trail (Mega Ring, 141.4 km), catering to cyclists of all levels from beginners to enthusiasts.
Chen pointed out that the Hundred-Mile Mountain Hiking Trail is designed around three major themes — “Cultural History,” “Natural Scenery,” and “Ecological Experience” — and divided into four difficulty levels: “Family-Friendly,” “Leisure,” “Fitness,” and “Challenge.” The design follows principles of minimal intervention and low-impact development. Currently, there are 47 existing hiking trails totaling 95.2 km, with plans to build 13 new trails covering 34.8 km, bringing the total length to 130 km.
The Tourism and Travel Bureau recommends that the public take advantage of the summer vacation to hike trails such as Dakeng, Wanli Great Wall, Zhigaozhen, Yaorenkeng, and ?Lu Zen Temple. Families can also explore cycling routes like Dongfeng, Houfeng, Tan-Ya-Shen Greenways, as well as Da’an, Caohu Creek, and Hanxi for bike rides. Most trails and cycling paths are under 30 km in length, with activities taking about two hours — perfect for family outings.
Secretary-General Huang Jing-mao suggested that the Tourism and Travel Bureau develop one-day and two-day tour packages, and enhance marketing on the tourism website with detailed transportation route information. The bureau has already developed the interactive “Explore Taichung” app, allowing users to easily plan their trips and use GPS to track their personalized travel routes, helping visitors across the country enjoy traveling around Greater Taichung with ease.
(China Times)