Reviving the Former Glory of the Danlan Ancient Trail: Creating Taiwan’s First Long-Distance Hiking Route

▲ Aerial view of the Danlan Century Mountain Trail. (Photo / Courtesy ofNew Taipei City Government website, the same applies below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Inspired by international trends in long-distance hiking, such as the Appalachian Trail from the American movie *A Walk in the Woods* and Spain’s *Camino de Santiago* featured in films, long-distance hiking has become a global trend.In fact, Taiwan also has the over 200-year-old “Danlan Ancient Trail.”Recently, the Danlan Volunteer Team formed by the Taiwan Thousand-Mile Trail Association, together with the New Taipei City Government, pledged to maintain the ancient trail in the long term, reviving its historic splendor and establishing a new form of travel centered around long-distance hiking.

With a history of over 200 years, the Danlan Ancient Trail spans four regions—New Taipei City, Taipei City, Keelung City, and Yilan County. It served as a pioneering, livelihood, military, and trade route during the Qing Dynasty between the “Tamshui Subprefecture” and the “Kavalan Subprefecture.” Though much of it has been divided by roads or lies abandoned, the path still exists.About 70% of the Danlan Ancient Trail lies within New Taipei City. The New Taipei City Government and the Thousand-Mile Trail Association have collaborated on the “Revive the Danlan Century Mountain Trail” project, hoping to gain central government support for citizen-led initiatives to revive the trail. Their goal is to create Northern Taiwan’s first long-distance, low-carbon trail rich in natural ecology and cultural history, and shaped by cross-county and public-private cooperation.

▲ Surveying the Yang Tingli Ancient Trail.

The project is ongoing, including systematic surveys of trail resources. By collecting historical materials and conducting interviews with local elders and experts, the initiative aims to inventory nearby cultural, historical, and tourism resources to revive the Danlan Century Mountain Trail network—such as temples dedicated to the Earth God and terraced paddies. Additionally, the project seeks to develop immersive short-trip experiences that integrate local cuisine, history, ecology, and village life. The trail system is scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2017. The hope is for visitors to walk this hundred-mile journey and experience a century of history, deepening their appreciation for the land’s living value.

▲ The Danlan Ancient Trail route is divided into northern, central, and southern sections.

The ancestral migration routes of the Danlan Ancient Trail are broadly divided into northern, central, and southern sections. The northern section, developed earliest, was paved into a wider and flatter “official road,” known as the “MacKay Road” as it was frequently traveled by missionary Dr. George Leslie Mackay. It runs from Wanhua, Songshan, Badu, Nuannuan, through Ruifang, Houlong, Shuangxi, Gongliao, and on to Dali and Shicheng in Yilan. The central section is a civilian migration route, starting from Wanhua, Songshan, Nangang, Xizhi, Nuannuan, passing through Pingxi to Shuangxi and reaching Daxi and Waiao in Yilan. The southern section, a shortcut developed later and the shortest in distance, was established by Liu Mingchuan and passes through tea-growing areas. It runs from Wanhua, Liuzhangli, to Toucheng or Jiaoxi in Yilan, serving as a trade route.

Danlan Century Mountain Trail