A few days ago, a well-known American leisure and entertainment website selected the 26 best cities in the world for solo travel, and Taipei came out on top. In addition to the friendliness of its residents and the amazing food, the author also mentioned that if you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, there are several spots within Taipei where you can go hiking and return in a single day, “what more could you ask for.”
This is exactly what makes Taipei different from other cities. The Taipei Basin is surrounded by lush green mountains that are full of charm, making it incredibly convenient to get close to nature. For the past seven years or so, I’ve been urging my colleagues to actively develop hiking trails. Not only have we restored the paths that were originally blazed step by step by our ancestors, but we’ve also planned nature-friendly trails suitable for people of all fitness levels, encouraging more residents to explore the great outdoors.
Over the years, the quality of Taipei’s hiking trails has earned widespread praise, especially as public transportation has improved, making the trails even more appealing. Not long ago, when the Xinyi Line of the MRT opened, I discovered that just a few steps from the Xiangshan Station exit is the entrance to the Xiangshan Trail. I’ve hiked this trail before – after walking uphill for a little over an hour, the view opens up dramatically, and on a clear day, you can see the towering Taipei 101, and at night, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular nightscapes in Taipei.
If you’re in the Wenshan District, you can start from the National Chengchi University campus and follow the Zhinan Tea Trail, a nature-friendly hiking path that offers a unique mountain-town view. Alternatively, if you take the Muzha Line and transfer to the Maokong Gondola to Maokong Station, you’ll find the most flat and family-friendly trail in the city – the Camphor Tree Trail – right at the exit. I’ve visited during different seasons and found that the trail is lined with flowers and plants in various colors all year round. No wonder so many locals come here on weekends to enjoy tea and take nature walks.
One of the most unique hiking trails in Taipei is the Beitou Hot Spring Trail. Many Japanese friends are envious that people in Taipei can take the MRT and then soak in hot springs – a rare luxury in major cities around the world. To allow hot spring enthusiasts to also enjoy the scenery of Yangmingshan, we’ve carefully maintained the numerous hiking trails scattered nearby.
After enduring the cold winter, spring has arrived with blooming flowers – why not gather a few friends and go hiking together?