The opening event of the second Kaohsiung City Sports Season, the “Phoenix Mountain Hike,” was held yesterday morning on Phoenix Mountain (formerly Chicken Mother Mountain). Over 2,000 citizens, many with their families, braved the cold to complete the 5-kilometer trek. Director of the Education Bureau, Tsai Ching-hua, stated that the sports season will also feature an international marathon, forest tree climbing, korfball, and a fitness health party, and encouraged everyone to join in.
At 7:00 a.m., participants began their 5-kilometer mountain hike from South Wan Tou Lane at the Phoenix Mountain entrance in Fengshan District. Phoenix Mountain, previously a restricted military zone, was off-limits for years, making this the first visit for many hiking enthusiasts, who were amazed by the beauty of the long-sealed-off woodland.
Chen Wu-hsiung, head of the Sports Affairs Department, noted that Phoenix Mountain is located at the border of Fengshan and Daliao districts, originally called Chicken Mother Mountain, with the highest elevation at 71 meters. It was once a field training ground for the Army Officer Academy and the Army Infantry School. With efforts from the city government, the military agreed to open it to the public, and it has now become one of Kaohsiung’s popular hiking spots.
Phoenix Mountain is open to the public for hiking from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. The mountain trails are divided into a large loop and a small loop, with the large loop covering about 5 kilometers and taking approximately one and a half hours to complete.
The sports season also offers many activities suitable for all ages. Citizens are welcome to visit the Education Bureau’s Sports Affairs Department website for more information and to sign up.