Top 10 Hiking & Green Travel Routes in New Taipei – Breathe Deep with Liu Keh-suang!

Text / Edited and Reported by the MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team

“Hiking takes us into a higher, farther, and broader home.” This is a personal message written specially for the 2014 New Taipei City Hiking Festival by this year’s ambassador, nature observation writer Liu Keh-suang. As hiking becomes more and more popular, the quality of the experience and the choice of trails have become increasingly important to enthusiasts. In addition to promoting hiking activities, we also aim to provide hikers with an even better outdoor environment. Therefore, this year we have specifically repaired and renovated seven distinctive hiking trails, along with recommending three other beautifully scenic ones, to invite everyone this yearTop 10 Hiking Trails. We hope you’ll all join us this coming cool season to step into the mountains and forests and together enjoy a deep “forest breath.”

The highlight of this year’s hiking festival will be the grand thousand-person hike event on Sunday, October 26, at the Sandiaoling Hiking Trail.The Ruifang Sandiaoling Trail has long been a favorite among hikers. Starting from the trailhead near Shuoren Elementary School to the Fuxing Temple in Wufenliao, the trail features bubbling streams and beautiful scenery. Midway up, hikers must climb a small cliff ladder, which many enjoy as a fun challenge. The trail is also known for its serene and picturesque He Valley, Sky-Scraping, and Loquat Cave waterfalls. This year, in addition to trail repairs, the Tourism Bureau has added a viewing platform at the Sky-Scraping Waterfall so that both participants in the large-scale event and future hikers can enjoy the trail even more.

The New Taipei City Government stated that to truly promote the concept of everyone enjoying the deep “forest breath” of hiking, they specially collaborated with the New Taipei City Mountain Association to co-host this year’s hiking festival.During the series of events, free guided tours will be held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on October 18 at the Daxiling Trail in Shenkeng and on November 1 at the Danshui-Tamsui Ancient Trail in Shiding.The Daxiling Trail is a stone-paved path handcrafted by a master stonemason with 30 years of experience. Liu Keh-suang also shared that walking barefoot on the sandstone of the trail offers a unique aesthetic experience. On-site, professional guides from the New Taipei City Mountain Association will lead participants on the hike while providing in-depth insights into the ecology and features of the trail. The activity is free and open for on-site registration, departing once 20 people have signed up. Interested individuals are encouraged to seize the opportunity to take a deep “forest breath.”