You can cycle around Taiwan in just seven days！ A 1,000-kilometer "Bicycle National Highway" to be completed by year-end

▲ Cycling tourism has been gaining popularity in Taiwan in recent years. (Photo provided by Dai Zuhui)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

You can fulfill your dream of cycling around Taiwan in just seven days！ The Ministry of Transportation and Communications recently announced that it will link up bicycle paths across the island to create a 1,000-kilometer-long "Bicycle National Highway," expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Taiwan has seen a surge in cycling popularity in recent years. Bicycles are not only used for commuting and exercise but have also become a new means of travel. Numerous bike paths with unique scenery or challenging routes have been established, attracting not only locals but also international attention. In addition to Sun Moon Lake’s scenic loop being listed among the world’s top 10 most beautiful bike paths, Taroko Gorge’s bike trail was also ranked by a French magazine as one of the world’s top 10 most challenging cycling routes, drawing many foreign cyclists to Taiwan for both adventure and sightseeing.

▲ Sun Moon Lake’s scenic cycling loop has been selected as one of the most beautiful in the world. (Photo from Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area)

However, since bicycle paths across Taiwan have previously operated independently as fragmented routes, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications plans to connect all these paths by the end of this year to form a unified "Bicycle National Highway." It will take approximately 7 to 12 days to cycle around the entire island via this route.

According to the China Times, the main route of the Bicycle National Highway will stretch about 1,000 kilometers, starting from Songshan Railway Station. It will pass through the riverside cycling paths of New Taipei and Taipei, then extend to various county and city-level or coastal bike paths. Cyclists heading from Pingtung toward Hualien and Taitung can take Provincial Highway 9 to reach the east coast, and may choose to tackle the challenging Su-Hua Highway or take a train to Yilan. The journey can conclude by cycling back to Taipei via Provincial Highway 2B from Fulong. According to estimates by the transportation ministry, it would take as little as seven days to complete a full loop around Taiwan.

The ministry also stated that after the completion of the main route of the Bicycle National Highway by year-end, efforts will continue to develop branch lines connecting various national scenic areas and tourist attractions. These branches will be integrated with the main line to form a comprehensive cycling map, with the goal of completion by 2018.

As for the concern of cyclists regarding rest stops and supplies, the ministry said it will collaborate with police stations, schools, and shops along the Bicycle National Highway to set up supply stations offering services such as water refills and tire inflation. This will allow travelers to rest, recharge, and continue their next leg of the journey.