Text / Compiled and reported by MOOK Scenic Spots editors
The bumper car tram at Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area in Yilan has been a favorite among visitors. It was damaged by Typhoon Saola in 2012, and then hit again by Typhoons Soudelor and Dujuan in 2015, which caused the collapse of railway beds at multiple locations, forcing the tram to be suspended for many years. Thanks to emergency repairs by various departments, it is expected to resume service in late September, along with the reopening of the Maosing Nostalgic Trail.
The bumper car tram at Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area in Yilan has been a favorite among visitors. It was damaged by Typhoon Saola in 2012, and then hit again by Typhoons Soudelor and Dujuan in 2015, which caused the collapse of railway beds at multiple locations, forcing the tram to be suspended for many years. Thanks to emergency repairs by various departments, it is expected to resume service in late September, along with the reopening of the Maosing Nostalgic Trail.
The bumper car tram was an important timber transport vehicle in the early days of Taipingshan. (Photo / Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area)
Taipingshan was once a logging site, so it retains facilities such as cable cars, aerial tramways, timber railways, and steam-powered log loaders. Among them, the bumper car tram was an important timber transport vehicle in the early days. The Maosing Line was repaired in 1985 and officially opened to the public in 1991. It has been a popular facility for visitors on eco-tours in Taipingshan.
The much-loved bumper car tram by visitors of all ages (Photo / Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area)
The bumper car tram station is located on the left side of the central staircase in the mountain lodge. The track is 3 kilometers long, and the ride takes about 20 minutes. At the end of the line is the Maosing Station, which features a self-guided forest trail, a native fern garden, and the Maosing National Forest Trail.
The purple-leaved maple near the central staircase in Taipingshan is showing beautiful red foliage. (Image source / Luye Forest District Office)
As the orange-yellow bumper car tram slowly makes its way along the winding mountainside toward Maosing Station, the sound of the train echoes through the valley. On the right side of the track, various wild plants and flowers sway in the wind, such as Diplopterygium glaucum, Woodwardia unigemmata, and Digitalis purpurea; on the left is an open mountain view, where tall Hinoki cypresses dominate most of the scenery.
Remnants of the old railway track (Photo / Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area)
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