Catherine Lee posted: " The Taipei Grand Trail (TGT) goes around Taipei City in a huge 130 km circle, of which 92 km is hiking, and 38 km is cycling. Well worth doing! The scenery is stunning, the views are extensive, the paths are well-used and mostly well-signposted, the 8 " Catherine Lee
The Taipei Grand Trail (TGT) goes around Taipei City in a huge 130 km circle, of which 92 km is hiking, and 38 km is cycling. Well worth doing! The scenery is stunning, the views are extensive, the paths are well-used and mostly well-signposted, the 8 sections fit nicely into 8 days (or can be connected up and done over fewer days), every start point and finish point can be accessed by public transport, and most importantly, it's fun! Just base yourself somewhere in or near Taipei, get your hiking boots out and start!
Tea plantations at Maokong, Section 7
Taipei City is built in a basin, surrounded by mountains on 3 sides, some of which come under Taipei City and some under New Taipei City. The TGT is set up by the Taipei City government so it only includes those mountains that lie within the Taipei City limits. It's still a work in progress, with new things added every year, and has now become very popular - as you'll see on my certificate of completion, I'm number 5,283 to complete the TGT in 2023 so far - and some people do it multiple times, I met one woman who was on her 5th time round this year! Previously it consisted of 7 hiking sections, each taking about 5 hours, about 10-15 km each, but also connecting up so that it's possible to do 2 sections together if you have the energy. Now this year an 8th section has been added, cycling 38 km along the river to connect the 2 farthest points, thus completing the circle. The TGT maps can be downloaded from the local Taiwan-run Hiking BIJI app, so having downloaded each section, you then follow the line on the route, and as you go, the phone pings as you collect 'treasures', 7 treasures for each section, each section with its own landmark logo, so 56 in total. Just to add to the challenge, the app is nearly all in Chinese and sometimes the signal is a bit weak and you miss a 'treasure', and then have to retrace your steps to pick it up! When all 56 treasures have been collected, there's a certificate and a few gifts to be collected from the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Taipei City Government. And there's the added fun of a trip to the Taipei Zoo, which fits nicely at the end of Section 7. I went in the early afternoon when many of the animals were taking a nap ~ at least the flamingoes are guaranteed to put on a show, even if everything else is asleep!
For some background, check out my last year's account of the TGT, which I did twice; my report here from April 2022:
This year, 2023, I tried to choose days when the weather was good, as it really makes all the difference, and while it might be hot in the sun, the photos look so much better! I started this year's Taipei Grand Trail with a friend, Miriam but she suffered a leg injury on Section 1 which has required a long period of recovery (get better soon, Miriam!), so after a long pause all summer, eventually in the autumn, I resumed the TGT on my own. So here goes:
Section 1：關渡站至二子坪 Guandu MRT Station to Erziping in Yangmingshan 陽明山 National Park: Saturday March 3
Section 1 is all up, up and more up, though it's not really very steep, at least compared to sections 2 and 3. The path goes from Guandu MRT Station up through the Taipei National University of the Arts, on and up through the lower hills of Yangmingshan to Qingtian Temple, and so on up to Erziping. It's really interesting passing by so many different kinds of scenery. In the spring, the cherry blossom was out, so there was lots of pink in the air, and people were busy planting their vegetable plots. I missed one of the 'treasures' on the way up, and the only way to pick it up was to return the way I had come, so having walked up, I then walked back down the same way, waiting for that elusive ping. Got it! The result was that the initial 11.1 km turned into 22.2 km!
Section 2：二子坪至小油坑 Erziping to Xiaoyoukeng via Datun West, South & Main Peaks 大屯山 & Zhuzihu 竹子湖: Monday September 25
Sections 2 and 3 are both within the Yangmingshan National Park, and Section 2 is very popular with all those who love scrambling up and down the steep slopes of Datun West, South and Main peaks. I love it and often go there just for the fun of it! There's a lot of steep up and down, clinging onto the fixed ropes, and it's thrilling to get to the top ~ exciting is the word! Best done after a spell of dry weather, otherwise, it's all mud and very slippery. Choose a sunny day for the views too, they are magnificent! Zhuzihu is probably at its best in the late spring when the calla lilies are in full bloom, but the Datun range looks splendid in any season, and in the autumn, the hills are famous for the Silvergrass that covers the windblown upper slopes. 10 km in total, but don't underestimate the steepness!
Section 3：小油坑至風櫃口 Xiaoyoukeng to Fengguikou via Qixingshan 七星山: Monday October 16 (then contd onto Section 4)
Section 3 starts at Xiaoyoukeng, famous for its volcanic fumaroles belching forth very smelly sulphurous gases. From there, the path goes up to the highest point of the TGT, Qixingshan (Mt. Qixing), 1,120m. Getting to the top is always wonderful; on a fine day there are stunning views, and usually lots of people enjoying them too - especially in autumn when the iconic Silvergrass is a great attraction. The trail then continues to Qingtiangang and onwards over 2 more mountains to Fengguikou, through the cattle areas and forests. A great hike! 11.1 km.
This was a mammoth long day because I did Sections 3 and 4 together on the same day. It really does make sense to join them up, because the end point of Section 3 and the start point of Section 4 at Fengguikou is the most difficult TGT start and end point to get to. Small city buses go from Jiantan MRT Station about every 2 hours or so up to Fengguizui - then there's a steep walk up from there, so doing these sections together saves a lot of extra travel time. And as Section 4 is mostly downhill, it is manageable, but hey it's long!
Section 3: Looking back towards Qixingshan
Section 4：風櫃口至大湖公園站 and bus to 中華科技大學, Fengguikou down to Dahu Park MRT, and then by bus to China University of Science and Technology (CUST): Monday October 16 (after completing Section 3)
Section 4 is possibly the most isolated of all sections of the Taipei Grand Trail, passing through a lot of forests, with few people, and only occasional views. After the first hour of gradual ascent, it's then mostly downhill all the way. The lower slopes of Yangmingshan are full of temples, shrines, and graveyards, so you never know what statue or shrine you might come upon next! There are also strawberry fields and vegetable plots as you get lower down too and a beautiful waterfall, Yuanjue Waterfall - good for paddling! The path comes out at Dahu Park, and the treasures are all collected by then - from there, you walk to the MRT Station. To connect to Section 6, you can then go on by bus 8 km to CUST and the app route finishes there. This is the only bus section of the Taipei Grand Trail, and it's up to you if you want to completely connect up the trail or not. It's a 10.1 km hike and 8 km bus ride.
Section 5：劍潭支線 Jiantan Trail: Jiantan MRT Station to Dahu Park MRT Station: Monday November 6
This section is really not part of the overall circle of mountains that surround Taipei, but more of a separate ridge dividing the north and south parts of the TGT. It's hot in summer due to its lower elevation, but very popular with local walkers, and full of temples, shrines, graveyards and good views - of the Songshan Airport flights taking off, also of the National Palace Museum and looking back up towards the Yangmingshan mountains of Sections 2 and 3. The hike starts near the Grand Hotel, once a very militarized area, so there are lots of old sentry boxes scattered around. It finishes in the same area as Section 4, so it's interesting to spend time looking at the famous Bishan Temple. This area is famous for its cherry blossoms in spring. 14.1 km, including walking down to Dahu Park MRT Station.
Section 6：中華科大至麟光站 China University of Science & Technology, Nangang to Linguang MRT Station via 95 Peak: Saturday November 18
That day, it was 11°C at 6:30 am, cold but beautifully sunny, and my ascent up to the 95 peak coincided with a huge organized health walk for hundreds of people - I could hear the loudspeakers down below as they set off. Fortunately, they were going the other way from me, so I only passed about 100 of them! After Mt. Thumb, the TGT takes off along the ridges around the city, through bamboo groves and graveyards galore, all with great views. Very interesting, though hot due to the lower elevation. The signal in places is poor and I missed another 'treasure' and had to retrace my steps for about 20 minutes, which added to the extra distance - so beware! This section ends at Linguang MRT Station, only 2 stops from where I live, 10 minutes by YouBike. Compared to last year, when I lived at St. John's University and had to travel about 2 hours back and forth each time, this is just so convenient! 11.6 km.
Section 7：麟光站至捷運動物園站 Linguang MRT Station to Taipei Zoo MRT Station via Maokong 貓空 Tea Plantations: Monday November 20, followed by Taipei Zoo visit
Section 7 is amazing! Really interesting and well worth a visit on its own. The famous Maokong cable car is closed on Mondays, so I had the whole trail to myself, Maokong was very quiet. I also set off very early in the morning, walking from Linguang MRT in the dark, past the military tunnels and up to the first viewpoint. This was to avoid all the traffic on the road section which connects this section with the previous one (the road section could be a bus route, but there were no buses when I was there!) It is not really necessary to walk this connecting section of the hike - since the 'treasures' only start pinging from the National Chengchi University upwards - but it's fun to complete the whole circuit, so I did the connecting hike too. From the university, the TGT starts with steps going ever upwards on the Zhinan Temple Trail, over 1,000 of them, and they're numbered. The temple is also at the cable car station, and then the hike continues down and up and round to the cable car terminus at Maokong. Maokong is famous for its tea plantations and tea shops, plus fruit orchards and temples. I love it! The views are incredible. The cover photo at the top of this post is taken from Zhongshan Temple, just before starting the descent to the university, and on round to the Taipei Zoo MRT Station. It's a long day: 18.2 km
Having ended Section 7 at Taipei Zoo Station, and with the afternoon ahead, it's well worthwhile to go into the Taipei Zoo and walk around. It's a really good zoo, and it's really cheap, NT$ 60 for adults - cheap because it's run as an educational resource, and it was full of families with small children. Loved it! A small selection of the animals that were awake....
Section 8: 捷運動物園站至捷運關渡站 Taipei Zoo MRT Station to Guandu MRT Station by bicycle along the Taipei Riverside Bike Path: Saturday November 25
This is a new section of the Taipei Grand Trail, and although the route is marked on the app and with treasures to collect, so far there are no actual signposts on the ground. The day was mostly cloudy though the blue sky came out later on. Really nice for cycling! The start of the cycle ride is at Taipei Zoo MRT Station and goes along the riverside bicycle path, which that day was filled with hundreds of runners taking part in an organized run. The early section has a new wall mural, full of bright colors which I love! The cycle ride goes to Shezidao and along to Guandu, and takes about 4 hours, with great views over the rice fields and river towards the Yangmingshan mountains. 38 km.
And finally on Monday November 27: To the Geotechnical Engineering Office in Taipei to collect my certificate and scarf - turned out I was wearing similar colours to the scarf! I've also added up the total distance I walked: 97 km, and cycled 39 km, so a total of 136 km. YES!
Overall, the Taipei Grand Trail is a great project for discovering new places, enjoying the scenery, understanding a bit better the geography of Taipei, getting some exercise, meeting lots of interesting people, and getting out of the noise, hustle and bustle of daily life in Taipei City - thanks to the Taipei City Government for setting it all up. Highly recommended!
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