A suspension bridge woven from two thick cotton ropes, allowing only two people to cross at a time

Photos and text by /kuma

A suspension bridge woven from two thick cotton ropes, allowing only two people to cross at a time...

It has a romantic name—Lover’s Bridge. When a girl gets scared, the guy walks behind to guide her across, and since only two people can pass at once, that’s how “Lover’s Bridge” got its name~ But for bears, it’s super thrilling… In the dense woods, walking on such a suspension bridge feels like you’re about to go into jungle combat~ It really reminds me of the double-cable crossings during old military mountain training days！

There’s a private parking lot at the entrance, costing 50 NT per entry with no time limit. Upon entering, you’ll see a notice for the Health Deposit Station activity—if you're interested, you can check out more info online.

The trail is fairly easy to walk, with restaurants along one side. On this day, the karaoke was playing pretty loudly... There are signs along the way, so there's no need to worry about getting lost！

Along the route, there are also introductions to landslides and monitoring stations. Due to the 921 earthquake, collapsed earth and rocks accumulated in the valley, and under subsequent heavy rains, a large amount of sediment from the upper reaches of Huashan Creek shifted downward, causing landslides that posed a serious threat to the area... After learning about the Huashan landslide, we continued forward—paved with cement, the path is quite easy to walk, except for some slightly steeper sections, but overall it's okay.

At the “Huashan Landslide Teaching Park,” you can learn about the remediation and construction after the landslide. Three comb dams were built in the upper, middle, and lower reaches to block boulders of different sizes, combined with ecological engineering methods using local materials, stacking plants and stones to form protective embankments.

This is the data reception center of the Huashan Landslide Monitoring Station. Through the explanatory signs, you can learn about the various instruments used to monitor landslides.

From the data reception center, you can actually already see the Little Ladder—it’s about 100 meters away. Although not far, the slope is a bit steep... ~~"

At the base of the Little Ladder, there's a map showing the route~ The Yunlin County Government invested 23 million NT to set up both a “Little Ladder” and a “Lover’s Bridge” next to the landslide teaching park in the upper reaches of Huashan Creek. Let’s start by walking the “Little Ladder”...

Because there’s a height difference on both sides, the suspension bridge is designed in a stepped fashion！ Unlike the bamboo ladder in Zhushan, the Little Ladder in Huashan is shorter... And thanks to its special construction method, walkers don’t feel much swaying on the bridge... .

The views from the two sides of the Little Ladder are quite different... Same lush green mountain ridges, but on this side you can see a red No. 1 comb dam. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great that day, so the scenery looked a bit hazy.

The “Little Ladder” also has another feature—it’s located right above a comb dam, so looking down you can see a waterfall. The creek was extremely dry on the day I visited; perhaps during the rainy season you’d be more likely to see such a sight... Not many visitors that day, so there was a chance to take plenty of photos of the suspension bridge, which isn’t always possible！ Walking on it really didn’t feel shaky at all. When it came time to head back, the sun suddenly peeked out, and the lighting was perfect for photos.

The other side of the “Little Ladder” leads to the Lover’s Bridge... .

The path to the “Lover’s Bridge” is a winding wooden staircase, taking about 3–5 minutes... Especially the last section of the wooden stairs, it’s super steep with wide gaps... Climbing up really made my legs shake, and I was panting hard... OS: must be due to lack of regular training... =^^=

Seeing the “Lover’s Bridge” right in front of me, too excited to catch my breath, I hurried over to take photos！ Be aware that the suspension bridge only allows two people to pass at a time... Woven like braids, it’s made from two thick cotton ropes—I’d never seen such a suspension bridge before. Since only two people can cross at once, people queue up or wait their turn on the side, remembering who arrived first. There weren’t many visitors that day, but if it’s crowded, it might get a bit tricky... ..

The mesh ropes on both sides are made of steel, making the bridge sway a lot—super thrilling... . The Lover’s Bridge is surrounded by dense groves of betel nut trees, and the swaying of the bridge adds to the feeling of a jungle adventure！ On one end of the bridge, climbing the stairs reveals a vast coffee plantation; from the “Tea Garden Viewpoint,” you can see the scenery of the Yun-Jia Plain.

After crossing the Lover’s Suspension Bridge, you can choose to walk about 1600 meters further to return to Huashan Coffee Street！ Or you can retrace your steps. Like the visitors ahead, Bear chose to go back the same way—for one, to make it in time for the next attraction, and also to walk the bridge again... ^^

Walking the suspension bridge can also feel like modeling on a catwalk... Because the bridge is only wide enough for one foot, you have to walk in a straight line staring straight ahead. But the bridge sways too much—it’s hard to look graceful... Next, it’s Bear’s turn to head back！ This suspension bridge is truly unforgettable, and you’ll want to walk it several times... ^^

The “Lover’s Bridge” is situated at a high point, so you can see the full view of the “Little Ladder”～ The original name of the Little Ladder should be the Huashan Creek Suspension Bridge.

Below the collapsed mountain are planted with rows of betel nut trees... . This is the “Landslide Teaching Park,” yet it’s planted with tree species that aren’t great for soil conservation—feels kind of ironic... ...

Did you smile today... ... On the viewing platform or wooden stairs of the “Lover’s Bridge,” you can admire the Huashan Creek Suspension Bridge / Little Ladder from various angles. It takes about half an hour to walk from Huashan Coffee Street to the Little Ladder, and the return trip is downhill, so it’s much faster.

On the way to the Coffee Boulevard, you can see local cultural and poetry guides made of marble slabs. Besides the Little Ladder and Lover’s Bridge, Huashan also has a Coffee Trail, Literature Trail, and many other paths to explore. While enjoying the scenery, watch out for passing vehicles.

After finishing the trail, there are also several restaurants where you can dine; the area is planted with many mountain cherry blossoms, and you can also enjoy a cup of Gukeng coffee here.

Feeling like your relationship is a bit dull? How long has it been since you felt your heart race from love... ... Bring your lover to experience this cotton-rope suspension bridge—just one walk will not just make hearts flutter, but pound wildly, while experiencing thrilling romance together！ Kids can get close to nature, learn about landslides, and also scream with excitement like on a roller coaster... ^^

Attraction: Huashan Little Ladder & Lover’s Bridge

Address: Huashan Village, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County

Transportation Information:

◎ Northbound: Exit National Highway 3 at Meishan Interchange → follow Route 162 toward Meishan → continue onto County Highway 149 in the direction of Gukeng Huashan, total distance approximately 10 km.

◎ Southbound: Exit National Highway 3 at Gukeng System Interchange and connect to Provincial Highway 78 (East-West Expressway), then exit at Gukeng Interchange → take Provincial Highway 3 to Yongguang → turn onto County Highway 210 to Huashan, total distance approximately 15 km.

Note: A new Gukeng Interchange has been added on National Highway 3 and is currently under construction. Once completed, you will be able to exit directly without having to connect to Provincial Highway 78.

(Author: Bear’s Daily Life, Occasionally)