Island of Astonishing Mountains

If you were to approach Taiwan by plane from the south and fly the length of the island, you would see majestic peaks piercing the white clouds along the entire way, extending all the way to the ocean at the northern tip.

Mountains are the most prominent geographic feature in Taiwan, with as much as 70% of its territory covered by highlands. There are 269 peaks taller than 3,000 meters above sea level, including Yushan (Mt. Jade), Northeast Asia’s highest mountain at 3,952 meters.

Besides having an abundance of mountain forests, Taiwan is very compact. For example, in Eastern Taiwan you can take a boat out to sea and within half an hour see cetaceans swimming in deep ocean waters, while that same evening you can spend the night deep in the mountains of Taroko National Park. While many Taiwanese take this geography for granted, in the eyes of many foreigners it is exceptional.

Taiwan is the way it is because it is geologically young. The island was created by land being uplifted by the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine Sea tectonic plates. The topography is complex, high and steep, and this, combined with Taiwan’s location straddling tropical and subtropical climate zones, has given it remarkable biodiversity.

Many foreign travelers to Taiwan find its mountain scenery uniquely impressive. Czech mountain runner Mike Lo, who has lived in Taiwan for many years, loves the mountains so much that he serves as a long-term volunteer at Shei-Pa National Park. “The mountains of Taiwan are ­really wild!” Lo explains: “In Europe, it’s very easy to go into forests, but in the mountains of Taiwan that’s very difficult unless there’s a trail.”

Thus Taiwan’s mountain forests are a very distinctive part of the island’s character, even more so than other representative tourism resources such as the local cuisine, tea, night markets, Taipei 101, and temples. In particular, with nearby countries having comparable tourist attractions—such as the food in Hong Kong, the night markets in Thailand, and temples everywhere—it is the mountains that really make Taiwan stand out.

Yang Chih-ming, known in hiking circles as “Yang Da” (“Big Yang”), uses the mountains to introduce Taiwan to foreigners.

Everyone has their own path

This is why many travel agencies that specialize in inbound travelers state that Taiwan can best promote international tourism by making the mountains its main selling point.

How so? We start in Taipei, which is surrounded by mountains. One weekday morning, we follow in the footsteps of Yang Chih-ming (also known to foreigners as Yang Da), founder of Wildman International Travel & Tours, as he walks from the exit of the Xiangshan Metro station to the trail heading up Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain, one of Taipei’s “Four Beasts” mountains).

The Xiangshan Trail is a popular option for city residents to hike on weekends. But it is very different on a weekday, when it is filled with travelers. Along the way we hear a mixture of languages, including Japanese, Korean, English, French, and Mandarin Chinese spoken with a Malaysian accent.

The main reason these travelers come here is to get to the lookout platform, from where one can see Taipei 101 in the distance. At dusk, you can sometimes see foreigners with snacks and alcoholic drinks gathering on the platform to hold a party.

You could say that there is nothing that makes ­Taipei residents happier than being surrounded by mountains. Besides the easily accessible “Four Beasts” trail system, anyone can easily find mountain trails nearby to where they live.

With the rising enthusiasm for mountain hiking in Taiwan, governments at all levels have been actively inventorying, renovating, and linking trail resources. Edison Tours general manager Dennis Kuo notes that regardless of your physical condition and preferences, in Taiwan, “Everyone can find their own path.” This applies whether people are willing to carry equipment with them, whether they want to hike for a single day or make multi-day journeys, or whatever their favored activities—birdwatching, butterfly watching, climbing Yushan, seeing glacial topography, or experiencing the cultures of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.

The Taipei Basin is ringed by mountains. Xiaoyoukeng (above) and Qingtiangang (below), both on Yangmingshan, allow visitors to see a different side of Taipei than its urban scenery.

Hiking historic trails

In the days before roads and railways, it was trails that provided the main routes of transportation, and in recent years these ancient trails have become a popular way for domestic and international tourists to explore Taiwan. For example, the Tamsui–Kavalan Trails link together Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan, and are famous for the silvergrass that blooms in the autumn. These routes were also followed by the Canadian missionary Dr. George Leslie Mackay and thus have special meaning for North Americans. There is also the Hapen Historic Trail, which connects New Taipei City with Yilan County, as well as the Fu­ba­yue­ling Historic Trail, running from Wulai in New Taipei to Mt. Lala in Taoyuan, which was formerly used by the Atayal indigenous people for hunting and intermarriage.

During the downturn in the tourism industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Yang Chih-ming remained active by helping the government to develop several national-­grade trails. Yang, who frequently leads groups on ten- or 15-day trips overseas to ascend tall mountains in countries such as Nepal, Malaysia or Peru, took as his ideal such classic pathways as the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Kumano Kodō in Japan, and the MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong. He hopes that trails can serve to introduce Taiwan to international travelers.

Yang has high hopes for the Mountains to Sea Green­way, which takes over ten days to hike from start to finish. Beginning at sea level in Taijiang National Park in Tainan, it ascends to the peak of Yushan at 3,952 meters. Yang believes: “Internationally speaking, this is a very competitive route.”

Another representative route is the Raknus Selu Trail, which runs from Longtan in Taoyuan to Dongshi in Tai­chung. The journey sheds light on the interactions between different ethnic groups over time as well as the history of the camphor industry in Taiwan. Taiwan was a world leader in camphor production from the late Qing Dynasty to the era of Japanese rule, and the product made here was shipped around the world. At its peak the local camphor industry accounted for 70% of global production.

Yushan attracts mountaineering aficionados from home and abroad. (courtesy of Edison Tours)

Hiking the Zhuilu Old Road in Taroko National Park has become increasingly popular in recent years. (courtesy of Edison Tours)

Jiaming Lake National Trail is especially well known among Malaysian travelers.

(courtesy of Wildman International Travel & Tours)

Can’t-miss spectacular views

“Did you know that Yushan in Taiwan is higher than Mt. Fuji in Japan?!” This is an oft-spoken sentence for Dennis Kuo, who often takes part in international outdoors and travel exhibitions.

What famous mountains does Taiwan have that can appeal to international tourists? The main one is Yushan, because it enjoys the status of being the highest peak in Northeast Asia.

Taiwan’s second highest peak, Xueshan (Mt. Xue or Mt. Snow), is known for its glacial cirques. The Xueshan Range includes the well-known birdwatching destination Da­xue­shan. The nearby Taroko Gorge, one of only two white marble gorges in the world and up to 800 meters deep in places, is likewise remarkable.

Yang Chih-ming, who started mountaineering by joining a hiking club in university, gives his highest recommendation to Mt. Nanhu in Taroko National Park. Yang remarks: “In the hiking community we call Nanhu the King of Mountains.”

Yang relates a historical anecdote to support his preference for Mt. Nanhu: Back in the era of Japanese rule, naturalist Tadao Kano invited Kaoru Tanaka, his teacher from Japan, to make a trip to Taiwan. Tanaka asked Kano to select one mountain area that was most representative of Taiwan, and Kano chose Mt. Nanhu. The two men hiked in these mountains and discovered 12 cirques and other glacial landforms.

The majestic power of mountain scenery cannot be described in a few words, giving people a strong desire to “see for themselves.” “It’s extraordinarily beautiful!” exclaims Yang Chih-ming. It is obvious that a visit of just a few days cannot suffice to appreciate it. People who come to Taiwan for mountaineering should plan to spend at least ten days. The wonder of these mountains is one of the main reasons why foreign visitors are willing to travel so far to get here.

Daxueshan is home to a huge variety of birds, making it a must-see attraction for bird lovers who visit Taiwan. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)

Taroko Gorge, carved by flowing waters into land pushed upward by tectonic forces, offers scenery of sheer white marble rock walls that is rare anywhere in the world.