Step by step up the steep staircase, looking down from above, the beautiful harbor view unfolds in full splendor. Su’ao Township’s Nan’an Junior High School incorporates health promotion courses that take students hiking twice a week. But for over a decade now, this trail leading to the Su-Hua Highway has become overgrown with weeds and some of its railings are damaged. After the school voiced its concerns, the managing authorities have pledged to make improvements as soon as possible.
Located next to Neipi Bay, Nan’an Junior High School is blessed with a prime location—facing the sea in front and backed by small hills. The school has developed distinctive courses. Unlike most schools that boost students' physical fitness through running, this institution assigns two teachers to use early self-study periods twice a week to lead students along the mountain trail behind the school. The winding path leads up to the Su-Hua Highway and ends at the Nanfang’ao Viewpoint.
Principal Lin Hui-chu says that nowadays students exercise less and less, but bringing them on this trail has made many of them healthier. Along the way, they also noticed the overgrown vegetation, loose trail bricks, and damaged railings. Considering the safety of the children and local residents, she hopes the relevant authorities can lend a hand.
Nan’an Junior High School teacher Chiu Chen-wang discovered this trail more than 10 years ago. At the time, it was wild and untended, which he found a great pity. He enthusiastically helped clear the weeds and maintain the path, often taking students up the steep 666-step staircase to the summit. He said that initially, some children wanted to give up halfway, and those with conditions such as heart disease or asthma have all become much healthier since.
But maintaining a single trail relies entirely on Chiu Chen-wang, who is now 60 years old. Over time, it has become too much for him to handle alone. In February of this year, he filed a request with the relevant authorities. By mid-March, representatives from the Fourth District Maintenance Office of the Directorate General of Highways’ Nanao Engineering Section, the Su’ao Township Office, and others conducted an on-site inspection.
Chen Shih-chang, head of the Nanao Engineering Section of the Directorate General of Highways, stated that this trail was built in the 1990s and has not been handed over to local government for management and maintenance since. Although this year’s maintenance budget exceeds NT$20 million, if the cost to renovate the trail is not high, they hope to include it in the funding discussions so that it can be renovated this year. After that, it will be handed over to either Su’ao Township Office or the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for ongoing management.