< Visited in Jul 2019 >
I hardly consider myself a sports enthusiast or fitness fanatic. The only time I get any exercise done is probably on vacation, by merit of the amount of walking I am happy to do. I try to include hiking trails in my itinerary where possible, and Taiwan provides an abundance of mountains and national parks, even within the cities.
Tianmu Historic Trail 天母古道 is a hiking destination I came across in (believe it or not!) an IG account of a canine adoptee from Lang Lang Don't Cry 浪浪别哭, whose owner brings him on such hikes almost everyday. From their IG posts, this hiking trail looks very scenic, with occasional encounters with monkeys! Well, if a dog can do it, so can I, right? The hike did turn out a tad challenging for me, though I say with pride that I persevered and COMPLETED the trail, albeit taking longer than planned and making more stops (to sit and rest on the stone steps). Good thing I did my solo hike on a weekend, in the company of other hikers. (Safety first, especially for solo travellers.)
The hiking trail is not within short walking distance from any MRT station, unlike say Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) 象山. In addition:
a) I had made my way here after brunch at Shi Dong Market 士东市场, via a 10-minutes cab ride; and
b) referencing some local blogs, I alighted at and started walking from Tianmu Police Station 天母派出所 (No. 192 Zhongshan North Road Section 7, Shilin District 士林区, 中山北路七段192号).
If you are searching for the nearest MRT station to hail a cab or take a bus to the start of the hiking trail, try Mingde 明德 (R18) or Zhishan 芝山 (R17) on the red line.
⇩ Back to MY route, I was at Tianmu Police Station within a 10-minutes cab ride from Shi Dong Market 士东市场.
⇩ Heading uphill on the left of the police station, I spotted people in hiking attire and guessed they could be my fellow hikers. (Glad to have company and people who could lead the way as it was my 1st time here.)
⇩ After an approximate 5-minutes uphill stroll (just nice to warm up), I arrived at a prominent start point around noon, apparently just ONE of several, depending on which hiking route you choose.
There is a water cooler and tap here if you need to replenish your supply - quite a thoughtful amenity, I felt.
Earlier said, the hike proved more challenging and time-consuming than I thought. Despite the initial difficulty and thoughts of giving up barely a quarter of the way, I was very glad I pushed on, as the latter part of the hike was extremely rewarding, scenic and easy. My original plan to descend the same way I ascend did not work out though, but blessing in disguise, I found an alternative route back to the city - ending my hike near Chinese Culture University 文化大学, where buses go back down to the nearest MRT station.
Tianmu Historic Trail 天母古道 existed since Taiwan's Japanese occupation, noteably for the large water pipes (mainly underground for the first part of the trail) running from the mountains down to residences in Shilin and Tianmu districts. The trail is touted to have a thousand steps (yes, the challenging first part of it), reaching as high as 387 metres (vs Elephant Mountain 象山's 183 metres).
Another "attraction" here is the Formosan Macaque 台湾猕猴 - the only native primate in Taiwan. I had hoped to see some of them, even from a distance (it is highly advisable to do so as they are known to snatch food and things from humans; even if not for this reason, we shouldn't be disturbing them in their natural habitat). I wasn't lucky enough this time but there's always the next.
⇩ The initial part of the trail had some residences, thus the sign. Guess there will always be inconsiderate (or illiterate?) people as I encountered some hikers blasting music along the serene scenic pathway.
⇩ Basically, the initial "thousand steps" look like these... which I am grateful for, as I had some place to sit down and rest (without obstructing the occasional hiker passing me by).
⇩ Thank god for the hand railings too, as I progressed uphill. By this part, the air was noticeably crispier and cooler, and I could immerse myself in the sound of summer cicadas and running stream water, while pacing my breath and ensuring I was sufficiently hydrated.
⇩ There were constant reminders not to disturb, interact with or feed the macaques, should you see any. At this point, which I counted as the 1st milestone, there was a small clearing and vehicular road.
⇩ Though it felt like I had walked for a long time, I probably didn't cover much distance in reality.
⇩ The "thousand steps" continued, though I was feeling much better by now and aborted any intention to give up (in any case, I would have gone too far up to give up).
⇩ Geez, seeing no end to the (winding!) stone steps...
⇩ But the view was getting better as I got higher :-)
⇩ Also, finally seeing the historic large water pipes, giving birth to the name - 天母水管路 (literally Tianmu water pipe road).
⇩ Glad to have company on this lonely pathway... and guess she wasn't afraid of mozzies (which had already attacked me).
⇩ The 2nd milestone and popular pit stop for hikers. A family had their bentos here - would have been nice if I had some fruits or snacks with me (as long as I don't expose these to the macaques).
⇩ Another clearing a few steps from the resting pavilion. Overheard a local saying that the water supply up here used to be all good for drinking, until some pipes got polluted (still good for washing, but only selected taps for consumption).
⇩ It was from this point, after the 2nd milestone, that the trail became really scenic and leisurely (flat land!). I was rejoicing I made it this far.
⇩ Hooray! No more stone steps or winding uphill pathways (at least for a long way).
⇩ Love the signages and reminders to enjoy nature.
⇩ Some of the sections, given their landscape, had chance of landslide during inclement weather. In any case, it is advisable to be cautious and heed these signages to move off swiftly.
⇩ The view, fresh air and cooling weather that made my initial fatigue all worth it.
⇩ The 3rd milestone and another popular pit stop. At this altitude, there have also been more macaque sightings, usually in the afternoon.
⇩ The reappearance of stone steps, though by this point, I was just a short distance (approximately 15 minutes) from the end of my hike.
⇩ The beautiful zen-like shelter of bamboo trees made this last section of stone steps alot more bearable. I was even enjoying the mating calls of large squirrels atop the trees, until I spotted a SNAKE. I froze in my steps at the sight of a vibrantly-coloured 绿竹丝 (green tree viper), stifling an urge to scream, and called out to a couple excitedly distracted by squirrels as they walked towards me, alerting them to the snake slithering across the path between us. Thank god that was the only slimy sighting and from a safe distance. (I am absolutely not a fan of snakes.)
⇩ And YES! Accomplishing my mission at this exit of the trail at Aifu 3rd Street 爱富三街, about 15minutes walk to the Chinese Culture University 文化大学, around 4pm.
⇧ To the left was Yangmingshan.
⇩ I followed a couple and turned right, towards the university (and really just to find a main road and civilisation).
⇩ Was in the mood to admire bees and flowers, after the 4-hour hike!
⇩ Arriving at a main road, at which point I was very near a cluster of old houses converted into restaurants and cafes.
⇩ There was a bus stop in sight but after waiting for a good 20 minutes and seeing no bus, I guessed it could be functional only week/school days.
⇩ There was a Catholic church opposite the bus stop (and a resident dog approached for a while), along 华岡路 Hua Gang Road, where the well known Taipei Hwa Gang Arts School 华岡艺术学校 is located. Established in 1975, the school cultivated many known Taiwanese celebrities.
⇩ An old and now-unused hostel gave me (and the dog) some shelter from the heat while I waited fruitlessly for a bus. After buying a drink from the nearest 7-11 and enquiring about buses from the cashier, I decided to walk to another bus stop.
⇩ Strolling through the earlier mentioned cluster of old houses converted to some very popular restaurants and cafes, towards my alternative bus stop. I had made provision to dine in this area, but wasn't having much of an appetite yet and desired a shower back in my accommodation. Will save this lovely cluster for another visit.
⇩ Arriving at a busy main road (and bus zone), a university town of sorts and providing many bus routes downhill.
⇩ After an approximate 15-minutes bus ride and a 5-minute walk away, I was at MRT Shilin Station 士林站 (R16, red line), to make my way back to my accommodation.
Now that I know better what to expect of the Tianmu Historic Trail 天母古道, I actually want to experience it again. Perhaps, an alternative (and less physically draining) route would be to take a bus to the university and restaurant cluster, enjoy a meal, and hike downhill.
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Tianmu Historic Trail 天母古道
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Tianmu Police Station 天母派出所
Address --- No. 192 Zhongshan North Road Section 7, Shilin District, Taipei City 台北市, 士林区, 中山北路七段192号
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Yang Ming Cafe 阳明山白房子
FB
Address --- No. 2 Aifu 2nd St, Housheng Lane, Shilin District, Taipei City 台北市, 士林区, 爱富二街,厚生巷2号
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