Discover the Hidden Gems Beyond Jancing Historic Trail + Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail and More
Jancing Historic Trail, or Jianqing Huaigu Trail, is one of Taiwan's shortest yet most beautiful trails in Taiwan. Located at Taipingshan, Jancing Trail has attracted attention worldwide. Most people hiked the 900-meter trail and returned. We did it differently. We went beyond (with permits) to explore the old railway and took on a Taipingshan Jialuo Lake Trail section. Then, we returned to the Chinese Hemlock Nation Trail.
Table of Contents:
How to Get There and Apply for Permits
Take Kingbus 1750A (for the weekdays) or 1750 (for the weekends) from Yilan Transfer Station and get off at the trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail. This bus also goes to Taipingshan. So, you can take the same bus back to Yilan after this hike.
Bus fare (one way): NT$243
Bus travel time: 2.5 hours
From Yilan Transfer Station to Taipingshan: 7:40
From Taipingshan to Yilan Transfer Station: 14:30
Bus travel time: 2.5 hours
From Yilan Transfer Station to Taipingshan: 7:40
From Taipingshan to Yilan Transfer Station: 14:30
Apply for Police Entry Permits
Click here to apply for Police Entry Permits.
Map/GPX Data
You can see the trails I did at Taipingshan and Dayuanshan (Mt. Dayuan and Dayuan Elementary School.)
Click Menu in the map to download, print, or share the map.
You can see more options after clicking the Play button.
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to change the speed to meet your condition.
You can see more options after clicking the Play button.
Click
to change the speed to meet your condition.
Jancing Historic Trail and Trail Information
Trail Name: Jancing Historic Trail
Distance: 1.8 km (1.1 miles). The Jancing Forest Railway was approximately 5.5 km (3.4 miles) long. But now only 0.9 km is safe for people to enjoy. So tourists have to return at the 0.9 km mark.
Route type: Out and back
Days/Hours Needed: 1 hour, but I'm sure you will spend more than one hour enjoying this beautiful trail.
Total Ascent/Descent: Very flat
Best Time to Go: All year round. At an elevation of 1,930 meters, this is a great hike to escape the summer heat in Taiwan.
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
Distance: 1.8 km (1.1 miles). The Jancing Forest Railway was approximately 5.5 km (3.4 miles) long. But now only 0.9 km is safe for people to enjoy. So tourists have to return at the 0.9 km mark.
Route type: Out and back
Days/Hours Needed: 1 hour, but I'm sure you will spend more than one hour enjoying this beautiful trail.
Total Ascent/Descent: Very flat
Best Time to Go: All year round. At an elevation of 1,930 meters, this is a great hike to escape the summer heat in Taiwan.
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
Personal Enjoyment:
- If you visit Taipingshan, you can't miss this trail. It's short and sweet. Jancing Historic Trail will give you all the good vibes whether you hike here during good or gloomy weather.
- Taipingshan used to be one of the main logging stations in Taiwan. As a result, many precious trees were logged and sold. Another less-known logging station, Mt. Dayuan, is close to here.
- The total length of the Jancing Historic Trail is 5.5 km. However, many sections collapsed, and only 0.9 km is open for tourists. It can be crowded on the trail.
Wonderful Mountain Views Even Before the Hike Started
07:25 We arrived at the trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail.
The first highlight starts even before the hike. When you arrive at the trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail, please stop at this sign to take a look. You will see all the famous mountains from Xueshan Range (Snow Mountain Range), like Mt. Dabajian and Mt. Xiaobajian, Mt. Pingtian (post coming soon), and of course, Snow Mountain.
As expected, many tourists and hikers arrived at the trailhead.
07:43 We walked on the railway tracks used to transport logs in the old days.
This trail is well-marked; you can follow the marked signs and enjoy strolling.
Soon, we arrived at the old tracks covered by ferns.
Our guides let us take our time to enjoy this section. I was here in 2018 but visiting here again is still fascinating.
Many old tracks were hanging in the air. For safety reasons, small suspension bridges were built to replace those passages.
08:22 We reached the end of the trail at 900 meters. It's a shame that this beautiful trail is so short. But You have to take the same way back to the trailhead and enjoy the rest of Taipingshan.
Beyond Jancing and Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail, Plus Trail Information
Trail Name: From Jancing Historic Trail, Mt. Duomen, to Taipingshan
Distance: 15.4km (9.6 miles)
Route type: Point to point. If you park your car at the parking lot near the trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail, you can hike about 2km from Taipingshan to retrieve your vehicle and make this a loop hike.
Days/Hours Needed: 8 - 10 hours
Total Ascent/Descent: 766m/780m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Required
Difficulty Level:
Peaks to Reach: Mt. 多門山, 2,273 meters (7,457 feet) above sea level. No views at the peak.
Distance: 15.4km (9.6 miles)
Route type: Point to point. If you park your car at the parking lot near the trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail, you can hike about 2km from Taipingshan to retrieve your vehicle and make this a loop hike.
Days/Hours Needed: 8 - 10 hours
Total Ascent/Descent: 766m/780m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Required
Difficulty Level:
Peaks to Reach: Mt. 多門山, 2,273 meters (7,457 feet) above sea level. No views at the peak.
Personal Enjoyment:
- This hike is more challenging than Jancing Historic Trail. Yet, the raw beauty of the trail and the power of how nature took back the exploitation from humans are so intense. It also hurts to see those tall trees that survived the natural disasters but couldn't escape the chainsaws handled by humans.
- Taipingshan used to be one of the main logging stations in Taiwan. As a result, many precious trees were logged and sold. Another less-known logging station, Mt. Dayuan, is close to here.
- After entering the area of Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail, the vegetation changes, and the terrains become muddier. Nevertheless, it was a fun hike.
- The last section before we reached Taipingshan, the Chinese Hemlock Nation Trail, was fantastic. The trail is well-maintained, and Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area has done a great job of increasing the grip on the plank steps.
Other Things to Pay Attention:
- Hikers need to apply for police entry permits to do this hike.
- This hike is more treacherous and physically demanding. NOT FOR TOURISTS.
- The trail terrains are muddy and slippery.
- The weather in the Taiwan mountains often turns gloomy around noon. So, if you want to enjoy a beautiful day, please get to the trails as early as possible.
Trailhead of Jancing Historic Trail ➔ 0.9 km return point ➔ junction to Mt. Duomen ➔ Mt. Duomen ➔ return to junction ➔ entrance to Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail/end of Chinese Hemlock Trail/lookout ➔ Jhenan Temple ➔ Taipingshan Villa
(Continued from the previous Jancing Historic Trail)
After we passed the gate at 0.9 km, it felt like we had entered a different world than Jancing Historic Trail. The untouched nature replaced the well-kept trail.
After we passed the gate at 0.9 km, it felt like we had entered a different world than Jancing Historic Trail. The untouched nature replaced the well-kept trail.
The railway tracks and machinery left behind by the logging stations were the giveaways of the human traces.
08:56 We passed the tilting post written 1K+100.
We bypassed a suspension bridge that resembled those we saw earlier on Jancing Historic Trail.
09:36 We saw a huge hanger-like gadget. You can see how big it was when our guide Mingshu stood next to it. I have no knowledge about railways. If you know what that is, please kindly let me know.
We reached a flat and easy-to-hike section, and we saw more machinery like switches and other things that I didn't even know.
09:48 We saw a structure that looked like a station. We guessed it was the stop of the Bong Bong train (the railway to transport logs). The sign was another giveaway proving this section was open to tourists before.
10:08 We went down to a valley with massive logs lying there. This valley looked like a dried riverbed, but I am not sure.
We went up to the railway track again. Again, the sunshine cast its warm glow in the woods.
More relics lay on the tracks; more gigantic tree roots were left without the thick tree trunks that were once almost tall enough to touch the sky.
11:05 We reached a place with a sign saying Taiwan Fertilizer No. 5 Experiment Area 台肥5號實驗區. I guess Taiwan Fertilizer Co. tested their products here before.
After the lunch break, we left the track and went uphill. By now, the sunny weather was gone. Instead, it turned into the typical Yilan weather, gloomy and gray.
We saw many huge tree roots here, too, but the difference is many thinner tree trunks grew from those big roots and shot in the air.
13:13 We reached a junction. My map said there was a Kuimu Campgrount 檜林營地 here, but I can't tell. From here to Mt. Duomen's direction, this trail belongs to the Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake trail.
13:26 We reached Mt. Duomen, 2,273 meters. Unfortunately, there is no view from the triangulation stone.
Hikers said there is a 085 mark here, but I didn't see it. If we went further along this trail, we would be on the Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake trail. But that wasn't our destination, so we returned to the junction.
14:04 I saw the 094 mark.
14:36 Passed 103 mark.
14:50 I reached the trailhead to Jialuo Lake with the elevation of 1,300m. There is a big sign telling hikers how the marking system works. This sign is a well-made billboard with details, but the only problem is it's only in Chinese.
If you take the trail to Jialuo Lake, you will see the numbered marks every 100 meters and yellow marks to show you the way. Taipingshan-Jiuluo Lake Trail starts from this point to the big old tree trailhead, and the distance is 10.6 km.
There is a lookout around here. If the weather is good, you can see Snow Mountain, Mt. Dabajian, and other mountains, but it rained before I reached here, which is a typical weather pattern in Yilan, Taiwan.
This lookout is also the destination of the Chinese Hemlock National Trail. Tourists have to take the same way back to Taipingshan.
Trail Information about Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail
Trail Name: Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail 太加縱走, or Jialuo Lake-Taipingshan Trail 加太縱走. This trail is dubbed Fairy Pearls 仙女散落的珍珠 because there are several ponds to visit on this trail.
Distance: 18 km (11 miles)
Route type: Point-to-point. You can start either from Taipingshan Villa or Siji.
Days/Hours Needed: 2 days
Total Ascent/Descent: 1,880m/771m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Required
Difficulty Level:
Peaks to Reach:
Distance: 18 km (11 miles)
Route type: Point-to-point. You can start either from Taipingshan Villa or Siji.
Days/Hours Needed: 2 days
Total Ascent/Descent: 1,880m/771m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Required
Difficulty Level:
Peaks to Reach:
- Mt. Duomen 多門山, 2,273 meters (7,457 feet) above sea level. No views at the peak.
- Mt. Jialuo, 加羅山 2,320 meters (7,611.5 feet) above sea level.
Other Things to Pay Attention About Hiking Taipihgshan-Jialuo Lake Trail:
- Taipingshan-Jiuluo Lake Trail starts from this point to the big old tree trailhead, and the distance is 10.6 km. But hikers begin at the Chinese Hemlock Nation Trail and must take an extra 4.3 km to the gate at Siji 四季. So, the total distance is 16 km.
- This hike is more treacherous and physically demanding. NOT FOR TOURISTS.
- The trail terrains are muddy and slippery.
Day 1 Brief itinerary: The red gate at Siji Forest Road ➔ trailhead next to the big old tree ➔ Chetui Pond ➔ junction ➔ Kuimu Pond ➔ junction ➔ Haomai Pond ➔ Mt. Jialuo ➔ Wuidan Pond ➔ Jialuo Lake
Day 2 Brief itinerary: : Jialuo Lake ➔ Shandian Pond ➔ Duowang Pond ➔ Mt. Djumen ➔ Chinese Hemlock Trail 1.3 Km ➔ Taipingshan Villa
I did the Taipingshan-Jialuo Lake Trail in March 2019, but the weather was not on our side, and it rained a lot. I remember telling a hiker that I would make a website about hiking in Taiwan. He told me do it. I forgot his name, but I hope I can tell him I did it.
I want to thank Mingshu 明樹 for letting me use his wonderful photos.
The signin the following photo says the distance from that point to Jialuo Lake is 2.7 km, which takes 2.5 hours; it's 5.1 km to Taipingshan trailhead, and it takes 7 hours.
Chinese Hemlock Trail and Taipingshan, Plus Trail Information
Trail Name: Chinese Hemlock Trail
Distance: 2.6km (1.6 miles)
Route type: Out and back
Days/Hours Needed: 2 hours, but I'm sure you will spend more than one hour enjoying this beautiful trail.
Total Ascent/Descent: 224m/224m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
Distance: 2.6km (1.6 miles)
Route type: Out and back
Days/Hours Needed: 2 hours, but I'm sure you will spend more than one hour enjoying this beautiful trail.
Total Ascent/Descent: 224m/224m
Best Time to Go: All year round
Permits: Not required
Difficulty Level:
(After passing the lookout near the starting point of Taipingshan-Jiuluo Lake Trail)
15:18 I reached the trailhead of the Chinese Hemlock National Trail.
15:18 I reached the trailhead of the Chinese Hemlock National Trail.
I don't like to walk on the plank steps in the rain because it's so slippery. But Taipingshan has done an excellent job by putting anti-slippery tapes on the steps.
I was alone in this section, and not many people were around. Then, suddenly, I saw something about 5 meters ahead of me. It's Formosan Yellow-throated Marten 黃喉貂.
I managed to snap this photo before it disappeared. Formosan Yellow-throated Martens look cute, but they are the worst nightmare for Reeves's muntjacs. Yellow-throated Martens hunt a muntjac in groups and attack the lone muntjac from the rear end. You get the idea.
15:27 I reached Jhenan Temple 鎮安宮. By the time I arrived at this temple, it had rained hard. So, I didn't stay long.
15:40 Arrived at the parking lot. There are toilets near the parking lot. Finally, we called it a day.
Last but Not Least: Wildflowers
For more wildflowers I saw on the trails, please check out my Flowers on the Trails page.
About Taipingshan Logging History
Taipingshan used to be called Minnao 眠腦 by the indigenous Atayal people, which means lush forest. It's in Datong County, Yilan, at an elevation between 500 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
Taipingshan faces the Pacific Ocean and is flanked by the Xueshan Mountain Range and the Central Mountain Range. The average temperature is 13℃ with a humidity of 85%.
This area is excellent for precious woods like Benihi 紅檜 and Hinoki 扁柏 to grow. During the Japanese Occupation, Taipingshan became one of the major logging stations in Taiwan, exporting tons of precious wood overseas.
In the 1980s, Taiwan changed its logging policy and banned commercial logging. As a result, Taipingshan went from a cash machine to a tourist attraction, education center, and preservation area with a whole new look.
Taipingshan and Dayuanshan (Mt. Dayuan)
I did a hike to Mt. Dayuan and Dayuan Elementary School in February 2022, and I put several paragraphs about the logging history at Mt. Dayuan and Taipinghsan.
Regarding log production, Mt. Dayuan Logging Station produced more logging volume than Taipingshan Logging Station. Dayuanshan and Taipingshan shared a crucial position in contributing to Taiwan's economy.
However, the history of Taipingshan is better preserved, and Taipingshan has transformed into a popular tourist attraction.
You can click my post to Mt. Dayuan for more history about the logging industry in Taiwan.
Taiwan Hikes' Partner:
HolaTaipei Travel
I hope you enjoy this post. Have you done Jancing Historic or Taipinghsan-Jialuo Lake Trail? Are you planning to do it? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
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Taiwan Hikes is not responsible for the content of external sites.
All content provided is for inspirational and informational purposes only. Creating, using, hiking, or traveling with Taiwan Hikes' suggested services or itineraries is at your own risk. Please use your best judgment and follow all safety precautions, as Taiwan Hikes and Anusha Lee are not liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from using this information.
Please also note that Taiwanese government agencies tend to change their URLs without bothering to redirect to the new ones. As a result, you will find some external sites on the Taiwan Hikes website are not working from time to time. Taiwan Hikes will try to update those URLs if possible.
Taiwan Hikes is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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