Summer Trail Etude: Melodies and Coolness for a Refreshing Season

Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department
 

If you don’t want to travel far during the holidays but still want to enjoy some outdoor fun, the easily accessible Xiangshan Hiking Trail offers rich surrounding ecology, diverse species, and views of Taipei’s steep cliffs. With its varied scenery along the way, it’s the simplest and most beginner-friendly choice!

Xiangshan Trail is a loop trail that starts from Xiangshan MRT Station. Along the way, it passes by Zhongqiang Park, the Six Huge Rocks, the Photography Platform, the One-Line Sky, the Giant Rock Park, the Limestone Garden, and the Elephant Imagery Wall on the Municipal Sanatorium Trail, before returning to Xiangshan MRT Station. The area has rich surrounding ecology and diverse species, especially with a wide variety of ferns on the mountainside, making it known as Taipei’s “Fern Diversity Ecological Classroom.” Additionally, you can see massive exposed rock formations—thick-layered sandstone from the bottom of the Taipei old stratum’s Zhongshi Layer—that form nearly vertical, steep cliffs. You can also observe the rocks up close, with quite remarkable geological features.

To make hiking trips more enriching, the Taipei City Department of Urban Development held an ecological interpretation and guided tour event on June 13 at the Xiangshan Hiking Trail. Starting at 8 a.m., participants gathered at Xiangshan MRT Station and were divided into groups to follow trail guides along the route, learning about the ecology and geographical landscapes. This event also continued last year’s highly popular Trail Concert. At the tour’s endpoint, Huilin Park, amateur music groups played welcome tunes, blending natural sounds with melodies to wash away fatigue, offering hikers a more diverse and enjoyable experience.