Taipei

Shilin Residence Tulip Show (士林官邸鬱金香展)

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It’s 2020. How many festivals have you attended this year? 

If you’re like most people, I'm assuming not very many. 

Over the past six months, most countries around the world have had to shut down their economies, close their borders and impose lengthy self-quarantine measures to protect their citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a really strange year. 

Here in Taiwan though, we’ve been extremely lucky. It’s business as usual. 

Sure, we had to endure a couple of scary months where we were all worried that our lives would be going down the same road as the rest of the world and every mention of a new infection sent us all reaching for the nearest hand-sanitizer. 

Fortunately, our nightmares (thus far) haven’t come true. 

The response of the Taiwanese government has been nothing short of superhuman. 

We’ve all been able to go to work, school and enjoy leisure activities as if there wasn’t a pandemic taking place. The entire world is looking to Taiwan and collectively scratching their heads wondering how this isolated democratic nation neighboring China was able to be so successful in containing the virus. 

Of course, the people of Taiwan also deserve a lot of credit as when it came time to take precautions with face masks, temperature checks, social-distancing, self-quarantine, etc. The entire country was on board with the government like a well-oiled machine. 

So, as the world fell into disarray, what were people in Taiwan doing? 

Well, quite a few of us were attending an internationally organized tulip festival. 

Because thats apparently how they roll over here.

Unlike so many other events around the world that have had to be cancelled, the 2020 Tulip Festival at Taipei’s Shilin Residence which took place from February 13th - 28th attracted more than 100,000 visitors.

And yeah, it was open just in time for Valentines Day, which had a one day total of around 60,000 visitors.

Imagine for a moment, during the height of the pandemic, when countries all over the world were falling victim to COVID-19, that every day tens of thousands of people were cramming themselves into a park in Taipei to check out a bunch of flowers.

Not one to miss out, I joined the thousands of other people to check them out as well. 

What do I know about tulips? Not a whole hell of a lot. 

What I do know though is that when Taiwan does anything with flowers, they don’t joke around.

The festival was held at the Shilin Residence (士林官邸), once the home of President Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石) and his wife Soong Mei-ling (宋美齡), which has since been converted into a massive natural space that is open for free to the public.

This year’s tulip festival, which was titled “So Great to See You” (見你真好) was touted as the best yet with over 100,000 tulips imported from the Netherlands as well as Tonami City (礪波市) in Japan’s Toyama Prefecture (富山縣), which are both renowned for their cultivation of tulips.  

With over twenty species of tulips on display, visitors were treated to several large displays, known in Taiwan as “oceans of flowers” (花海) that were separated by colour - Those sections included red, yellow, pink, purple, white, orange, black and multi-coloured tulips.  

The displays were further separated into three different styles, namely “Western Style” (西式庭園), “Asian Style” (中式庭園) and another section referred to as the “Spring Fields” (踏青區). The latter was cleverly named based on a popular Chinese-language idiom that loosely translates as “to enjoy a beautiful spring walk” (踏青賞春), an annual tradition enjoyed by many families in Taiwan during the Lunar New Year. 

More specifically, the various species on display are as follows: 

From the Netherlands 

Spryng (春紅), Fancy Frills (花蕾絲), White Prince (白馬王子), Largo (雷果), Negrita (小黑人), Salmon Dynasty (粉黨尼), Strong Gold (巨人), Bullit (布利), Orange Dynasty (桔黨尼), Cafe Noir (黑咖啡), Dow Jones (道瓊), Leo Visser (偉舍), Dutch Design (藝術家), Fabio (非比), Memphis (夢飛), Perfect Torch (火炬) 

From Tonami City

Toyama Red (富山紅), Hakuun (白雲), Van Eijk (ファンアイク), Murasakizuisho (紫水晶), Shiun (紫雲), Huis Ten Bosch (ハウステンボス), Kikomachi (黃小町), Yuyakekomachi (夕やけ小町), Light Pink Prince (淡粉紅王子), Pretty Woman (プリティウーマン), Orange Van Eijk (オレンジ ファン アイク), Momotaro (桃太郎) 

My one take away from all this translation is that no matter if its English, Dutch, Chinese or Japanese, a lot of flowers have weird names. 

Alas, I’m posting this article a few months after the tulip show ended, so if you’re interested in checking it out, you’re going to have to wait until 2021 (if we’re lucky enough to still be around by then) when the festival takes place once again. 

That being said, Taipei’s Shilin Residence has beautiful floral displays on display year-round, so if you’re looking to enjoy a bit of nature and don’t want to hike a mountain, I highly recommend stopping by this beautiful public space.

The Shilin Residence is a short walk from Taipei MRT’s Shilin Station (捷運士林站) - I’ll have a blog post about the park in the near future, but until then, all you have to do is exit the MRT station and make your way across Zhongshan North Road (中山北路) where you’ll find the entrance to the park a short distance away.

You’ll know when you’ve arrived when you see the Falun Gong protestors at the entrance. 

It seems like they really enjoy the park. They never leave.

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The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine (國民革命忠烈祠)

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It might be fairly obvious by now, but I guess I should admit it openly: The vast majority of the time, when I write blogs, I’m actually only selfishly writing about the places that I personally want to visit.

The problem that I’ve found with this though is that quite a few people look to this site as a resource for traveling in Taiwan - but I’m here spending a bunch of time writing about obscure places that I think are cool, but aren’t likely ever going to be on the radar of the average tourist.

So, when I take a look at my analytics and see what kind of content people are searching for, I feel like I could probably do a much better job if I was just a little less selfish and spent more time writing about the places that people actually want to visit.

I don’t mind writing about popular tourist destinations from time to time, especially if its going to help out all of the travelers wanting to experience the beauty of Taiwan.

But some of the time I find my self scratching my head at the requests I get.  

Suffice to say, its become rather obvious over the past few years that one of the destinations people are looking for more information on is one that I’ve never really particularly had any interest in writing about.

I’d like to think that they’re looking for my particular take after reading what I’ve already had to say about the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) or the Cihu Mausoleum (慈湖陵寢), but I’m guessing thats not actually the case. 

The National Revolutionary Martyrs Shrine (or just the Taipei Martyrs Shrine) has become a popular stop for visitors to the Taiwanese capital in recent years and since it seems like some of you are interested in seeing what I have to say about it, I took some time to visit to get photos and here I am to offer my two-cents.

So, before I attempt to take an unbiased look at the history of this beautiful shrine, let me take a minute or two of your time to explain why the Martyrs Shrine was never high on my list of places to visit. 

Taiwan is a beautiful country, one of the most beautiful if you ask me, but it is a country that has an unfortunate history. Over the past few centuries, the island, known to many as Formosa (福爾摩沙) has been colonized by the Spanish, Dutch, Japanese and the Chinese.

As is the case with colonization, the people who get find themselves becoming ‘colonized’ often get the short end of the stick and are both used and abused by those in power. This remained true in Taiwan and each time a new colonial power took control, the people of Taiwan suffered. 

When the Second World War came to a conclusion, the Japanese Colonial Era in Taiwan likewise came to an end - The question of Taiwan’s sovereignty (in addition to several other areas that were once under Japanese control) became a point of contention and the victors of the war strangely decided not to make any rash decisions on how to solve the problem.  

The thought at the time was (arguably) that the legal status of Taiwan could remain ‘undetermined’ for the time being and would be resolved at an opportune time when the people of Taiwan would finally have the chance to peacefully come to a decision about their own self-determination. 

The obvious problem with this lack of a decision on the matter was that in the meantime, control of Taiwan was ambiguously given to the Republic of China (中華民國) which was led by President Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石), a notable ally of the Americans.

The lack of any concrete decision on the fate of Taiwan’s sovereignty when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed has triggered an endless amount of arguments and political bickering for the past few decades as the interpretation on the lack of a decision on Taiwan’s fate is to this day one has not been decided.

Link: San Francisco Treaty (Wiki)

While the terms of Japan’s surrender were being decided in America, the was in China continued as the Nationalists and the Communists were engaged in a brutal civil war which ultimately resulted in several million refugees fleeing to Taiwan.

This meant that any hope of self-determination for the people of Formosa was fading.

With the sudden influx of refugees, the islands infrastructure was pushed to the limit resulting in a massive food shortage and a housing crisis. I’m sure you can appreciate that this meant that those already living here would have to suffer as second-class citizens thanks to yet another colonial dictatorship that cared little for their existence.

To help control the local population, the new colonial regime instituted a 38 year period of Martial Law (戒嚴時期), during which basic rights were suspended and the government was given the power to arrest anyone they deemed to be a threat to their control.

From 1947 to 1987, in what is known as the “White Terror” (白色恐怖) period, it is estimated that more than 140,000 Taiwanese were imprisoned, tortured and executed.

This left generational scars on almost every family and community on the island. 

During the first few years of White Terror it was common for the military to routinely patrol the streets where they were known for indiscriminately abusing anyone they saw.

This included not only the local people but also the refugees who fled here with the Nationalists. 

Note: Many people assume that the only people targeted by the government were local Taiwanese, but the paranoia of those in power led them to believe that citizens were colluding with the communists, so they routinely targeted intellectuals and the social elite on both sides and put them in prison or simply executed them. No one was safe. 

Martial Law was lifted in 1987 and in the years since Taiwan has transitioned into a vibrant and thriving democracy where human rights and freedom are valued aspects of daily life. The days of authoritarianism, suppression, arbitrary execution and the arrest and torture of anyone the Chinese Nationalists viewed as a threat are over.

Unfortunately even though the dream of self-determination has finally been realized, the scars of what happened during those four decades are still felt throughout Taiwan today.

Due to a mass cover up and the destruction of documents related to those events, no one really knows for sure how many people were murdered.

Even though many of the questions about that period of time may never be answered, the government has gone ahead and set up the Transitional Justice Commission (促進轉型正義委員會), an independent agency responsible for the investigation of what happened during the authoritarian period. 

As the Commission continues its important work we will undoubtedly learn more about the gruesome events of the past but the important thing to remember is that while the government is taking responsibility for its past actions, it does so with the goal of social reconciliation and helping the nation to move forward while learning from the mistakes of the past.

Turn your back to authoritarianism!

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By now you’re probably asking yourself why I’ve gone off on this tangent. 

Well, its quite simple - The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine has essentially very little to do with Taiwan and like the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, is another symbol of the complicated authoritarian history imposed on Taiwan. 

Is the shrine beautiful? Of course it is. 

Is the changing of the guard a cool ceremony to watch? You bet it is. 

Is it worth your precious vacation time? I’m not so sure. That’s up to you to decide. 

The government currently funds (at great expense) a massive memorial to around half a million soldiers who took part in conflicts that had very little to do Taiwan.

Are there better uses for the space? That’s up for debate and its certainly not for me to decide.

It is however widely thought that one of the recommendations that the Transitional Justice Commission will eventually make is to stop wasting resources for this Martyrs Shrine (as well as some other locations).

This likely means that the days of free admission for tourists may eventually come to an end. 

Now that I’ve said what I think needs to be said, I’m going to proceed below in the way that I usually do by providing the necessary historical information and everything you’ll want to know about what you’ll see when you visit.

Remember though, there is a lot to see and do while visiting Taiwan and yeah, this Martyrs Shine is an impressive destination in terms of its architecture.

So I leave it up to you, if you’d like to visit, then by all means, enjoy yourself!

National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine 

The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, otherwise known as the Taipei Martyrs’ Shrine (台北忠烈祠) is located in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山區) and is the largest of around twenty such memorial shrines located in Taiwan. 

Dedicated to the fallen members of the Republic of China Armed Forces (中華民國國軍), the war memorial shrine is home to Spirit Tablets (牌位) that honors almost half a million people who were killed during the various engagements dating back to the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. 

More specifically the shrine pays respect those who perished in the following battles: 

  1. The Xinhai Revolution (辛亥革命)

  2. The Northern Expedition (國民革命軍北伐)

  3. The Second Sino-Japanese War (中國抗日戰爭)

  4. The Chinese Civil War (國共內戰)

  5. The Offshore Islands Crisis (大陳島撤退) 

  6. The Shelling of Kinmen and Matsu Islands (八二三炮戰)

The 52,000 square meter shrine complex is located at the base of Jiantan Mountain (劍潭山) and faces the Keelung River (基隆河). Construction started in 1967 and was completed two years later in 1969 under the direction of former President Chiang Kai-Shek.

Although the shrine occupies a large space in terms of area, the buildings occupy only about a 10th of the total space with 5,300 square meters reserved for the Front Gate (大門牌樓), Bell Tower (鐘樓), Drum Tower (鼓樓), Front Hall (山門), Main Hall (大殿), Civilian Shrines (文武烈士祠), the two outer wings (左右廂房) and the administrative building.

Constructed with Beijing’s Forbidden City (故宮) in mind, the architecture of the Main Hall is reminiscent of the “Hall of Supreme Harmony” (太和殿) which gives off an aura of being not only a grand building but also one that is regal in nature - if you’re impressed by such things.  

Coincidentally the Martyrs Shrine is a replacement of another Martyrs’ Shrine that was previously constructed in the same location. The original, which was constructed by the Japanese was a memorial to Taiwanese soldiers who perished during the Colonial Period (1895-1945) named the “Taiwan Gokoku Shinto Shrine” (臺灣護國神社) and was a branch of the Japanese Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社) in Tokyo.

Link: 臺灣護國神社 (Wiki) | Taiwan Gokoku Shrine Historic Photos (1 / 2)

In fact, of the twenty Martyrs’ Shrines that exist in Taiwan today, the vast majority of them have been converted from Shinto Shrines (神社), Martial Arts Halls (武德殿) or other buildings constructed by the Japanese. 

Martyrs’ Shrines of Taiwan (台灣的忠烈祠)

  1. National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Taiwan Gokoku Shinto Shrine 臺灣護國神社)

  2. Keelung Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Kiron Shrine 基隆神社)

  3. New Taipei City Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Tamsui Shrine 淡水神社)

  4. Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Tōen Shrine 桃園神社)

  5. Miaoli Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Byōritsu Shrine 苗栗神社)

  6. Tungxiao Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Tsūshō Shrine 通宵神社)

  7. Taichung Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Taichū Shrine 台中二代神社)

  8. Changhua Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Changhua Butokuden 彰化武德殿)

  9. Nantou Martyrs’ Shrine (南投縣忠烈祠)

  10. Yunlin Martyrs’ Shrine (雲林縣忠烈祠)

  11. Chiayi Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Kagi Shrine 嘉義神社)

  12. Tainan Hsinhua Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Tainan Martyrs Shrine 臺南縣忠烈祠）

  13. Tainan Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Tainan Shrine 台南神社)

  14. Kaohsiung Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Takao Shrine 高雄神社)

  15. Pingtung Martyrs’ Shrine (屏東縣忠烈祠)

  16. Penghu Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Hōko Shrine 澎湖神社) 

  17. Yilan Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Giran Shrine 宜蘭神社)

  18. Hualien Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Karenkō Shrine 花蓮港神社)

  19. Taitung Martyrs’ Shrine (Originally Taitō Shrine 台東神社) 

One of the biggest draws for tourists to the Martyrs Shrine is the hourly ‘Changing of the Guard’ ceremonies that take place on a daily basis. The shrine is also home to annual ceremonies that commemorate Youth Day (青年節) on March 29th as well as Armed Forces Day (軍人節) on September 3rd. In the latter, the President as well as the heads of the five branches of government visit the shrine to pay respect to the martyrs. 

The shrine was also the venue used for the funeral of former President Chiang Ching-Kuo (蔣經國) in 1988 before his body was moved to the Touliao Mausoleum (大溪陵寢) in Daxi, close to where his father continues to lie in state. 

For the most part, the shrine is a quiet place of reflection for those with links to the Armed Forces as well as for those (who are politically inclined to) support the old authoritarian regime. Save for rare state funerals and a couple of ceremonies held annually, you can pretty much expect your visit to be a quiet one.

Design

As mentioned above, the Martyrs’ Shrine has a total area of 52,000 square meters, but the buildings inside only take up about 5,300 square meters of that space. The complex is surrounded by a large red wall on three sides with the giant front gate acting as the entrance.

Within the walled complex there are several different buildings that were constructed in the traditional Chinese Palace style with golden roofs, beautiful red columns and white marbled floors.

Below, I’m going to introduce each of the important parts of the shrine so you’ll know what you’re actually seeing when you visit. 

The Front Gate (大門牌樓) 

The Front Gate, which meets with the walls that surround the complex is a traditional three-arched ‘paifang gate’, which is a variation of the common gate you’ll find at traditional buildings and places of worship in Taiwan and across Asia.

Link: Paifang 牌坊 (Wiki)

The gate is a mixture of white with the same shade of red used on the wall that surrounds the shrine with a four-layered green roof that rises from the outside to the centre section. 

On the outside you’ll find a large plaque that reads “Martyrs’ Shrine” (忠烈祠) in the centre with the words “成仁” and “取義“ above the left and right archway which mean ‘to die for a good cause’ and ‘to choose honour over life’ respectively. 

On the opposite side of the gate you’ll find a similar set up with a large plaque in the centre that reads “萬古流芳” which translates as ‘a good reputation for eternity’ and two smaller plaques on either side that read “忠義” and “千秋” which mean “loyalty” and “eternity,”

Below the centre arch you’ll find two Honour Guards standing at attention at all times.

Courtyard (廣場) 

For some reason no one ever talks about the courtyard in their introductions of the shrine, which is a shame. The courtyard here may not be as large as the famed “Liberty Square” (自由廣場) at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, but its still huge by Taipei standards.

As I’ve mentioned a few times already, the total area of the shrine is 53,000 square meters with the buildings only taking up about a tenth of that space. So what is occupying the majority of the other empty space? The courtyard.

The interesting thing about the courtyard, and something that I thought had to be mentioned is that the beautiful white stone tends to shine in the sun, but there’s an oddly marked up area that consists of several lines directly down the centre.

If it wasn’t already fairly obvious, they’re the tracks left behind by over five decades of Honour Guards performing their duties, which I think is pretty cool.  

Administrative Wings (左右廂房) 

The two ‘wings’ on either side of the courtyard are traditional-style houses with beautiful green roofs, but there isn’t really much for tourists to see while visiting as they aren’t open to the public as they’re used for administrative purposes.

Still, they’re pretty and good for a photo or two. 

Drum Tower (鼓樓) and Bell Tower (鐘樓)

The Drum Tower and the Bell Tower are situated directly opposite each other on either side of the courtyard a short distance away from the Front Hall. Both are traditional two-storey eight-sided pavilions with beautiful green roofs and lots of flowers planted around them. 

Each of the towers contains a memorial to someone of historical importance and has a beautifully designed spiral staircase to the second floor, which is unfortunately off-limits to tourists. 

Both of the pavilions are great for hanging out and hiding from the sun for a few minutes, especially if you’re waiting around for the Changing of the Guard ceremony to take place. 

Front Hall (山門) 

Once you’ve finally reached the Front Hall, you’re met with two beautiful white marble lion-dogs (石獅).

For reference, the lion on the left is a male (and has a ball in its paw) while the lion on the right is a female (with a cub in its paw). The lions are flanked by beautifully crafted bonsai-type trees and a set of stairs on either side. 

As you climb the stairs and enter the door you’re met with a large open hall that has two bronze murals on either side. The murals depict two of the battles that resulted in the formation of the Republic of China and the formal end of the Qing Dynasty (清朝).

For me, the great thing about the Front Hall has nothing to do with the murals but the impressive red columns and beautiful red doors with their golden studs which work together to provide an amazing view of the Main Hall. 

Civilian Wings (文武忠士祠)

The two wings located to the left and right of the Main Hall are set up especially for two different groups of martyrs that are distinct from your (uhh..) typical martyr. 

The wing to the left is known as the Literary Martyrs Shrine (文忠士祠) and is dedicated to the intellectuals who contributed to the revolution that helped the Chinese Nationalists topple the Qing Dynasty. These are the literati who penned articles (and various other types of literature) that helped contribute to stoking the flames of revolution, but still ending losing their lives for their efforts. 

The wing on the right is known as the Martial Martyrs Shrine (武忠士次) and is dedicated to those martyrs who died during the early stages of the revolution. This shrine is reserved especially for those who were ranked captain or above, each of which received their own individual spirit tablet. 

Both wings are about 13 meters in height and occupy a space of about 403 square meters. The design of both buildings is uniform with the Front Hall and Main Hall with beautiful red columns and a golden roof.

One of the things I appreciate about each of the wings though is that they have beautifully crafted and well-maintained bonsai trees in front of each of the large red columns, which makes for some nice photos. 

Main Hall (大殿) 

The Main Hall is more or less the reason why people are visiting the Martyrs’ Shrine - While its not an exact copy of the “Hall of Supreme Harmony” (太和殿) in Beijing’s Forbidden City, its a very close imitation of the original. The 26 meter high and 1,800 square meter Main Hall is one of the prettiest traditional palace-style structures in Taiwan and it seems like no expense was spared in its construction.

One of the major differences from the original is that with the exception of the doors, windows and ceilings, everything else was constructed with reinforced concrete - Which makes sense given Taiwan’s geographic location on the ring of fire. 

The main shrine is guarded at all times by two of the Republic of China Honour Guards and entry is off limits to the general public. The interior of the shrine is quite easy to see though, so you won’t have to look too hard to see the uncharacteristically large spirit tablet dedicated to the martyrs. 

One of the most notable differences from the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing (if you’ve already been there) is the Republic of China iconography that you’ll find in all of the small details of the shrine. On the roof for example, each of the tiles ends with the ‘Plum Blossom’ emblem that represents the nation.

The decorative trusses between the roof on the lower layer as well as the top layer are beautiful and are locked in place without the use of nails. This is part of a technique often used in temples that creates a network of pieces that helps to support the weight of the roof.

While this may seem insignificant to the average tourist, if you spend some time checking out the craftwork of the interlocking pieces, you’ll end up fascinated with the genius that goes into this style of construction.  

Republic of China Honour Guard (中華民國陸軍儀隊) 

One of the highlights of a visit to the Martyrs’ Shrine is to see the ceremonial changing of the guard ceremony that takes place every hour on the hour between 9:00am and 5:00pm. 

The Republic of China Honour Guard, which consists of members of the Armed Forces from the Army (green), Navy (blue) and Air Force (black or white) performs the ceremony several times a day with two members stationed at the front gate and another two guarding the shrine at all times.

The ceremony lasts for about twenty minutes and includes a changing of the guard, marching, a ceremonial gun inspection with their M1 rifles and culminates in paying respect to the martyrs.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is popular with tourists at other locations such as the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念堂) in Taipei as well as the Cihu Presidential Burial Place (慈湖陵寢) in Taoyuan. The ceremony that takes place at the Martyrs’ Shrine though is considered by many to be the best and you’ll often find people showing up just to check it out and take photos. 

If you do visit the shrine, you’ll definitely have missed out if you don’t stick around long enough to see the changing of the guards at least once. 

Getting There

 

Address: #139 Bei-an Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei. (臺北市中山區北安路139)

Despite being in somewhat of an awkward location, getting to the Martyrs’ Shrine is actually quite easy.

If you have your own means of transportation, simply input the address provided above into your GPS or Google Maps.

Its important to note that there isn’t much available in terms of parking in the area around the shrine, so if you’re driving a car or a scooter, you’re going to have to walk a distance from wherever you’re able to find parking.

If you are making use of public transportation, you have a number of options to get yourself to the shrine.

You will however have to take a combination of MRT and Public Bus to get there.

If you haven’t already, I recommend downloading the Go! Taipei Metro and Taiwan Bus app for your phone so that you can easily get around the country while you’re visiting.

If you are taking the bus, you can take any of the following buses where you’ll get off at the Martyrs’ Shrine stop (忠烈祠站): #21, #42, #208, #247, #267, #646, #677, #902, Red 2, Red 3.

More specifically, you can take the following buses from these MRT stations:

  1. Red Line Yuanshan Station (紅線圓山站): #21, #42, #208, #247, #287, Red 2

  2. Red Line Jiantan Station (紅線劍潭站): #267, #287, #646, #677, #902, Red 3

  3. Brown Line Dazhi Station (文湖線大直站): #902, #247, Red 2, Red 3

If you’d prefer a more scenic route and want to walk, the shrine is only about a 15 minute (1.5km) walk from Dazhi MRT Station. You could likewise also walk from Yuanshan Station, but you’ll have to cross a busy bridge and Google Maps won’t really help you out very much with your route.

Unfortunately the closest YouBike Station is located near the Dazhi MRT Station, so if you ride a Youbike, there isn’t anywhere to dock your bike nearby.

While you’re in the area, you may also want to consider checking out the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, Lin An Tai Mansion, Jiantan Mountain, Jinmian Mountain, the Linji Rinzai Huguo Temple, the Taipei Confucius Temple and Bao-An Temple as well as the beautiful Yuanshan Flora Expo Park.

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Qixing Mountain (七星山)

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When people think of Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, they often think of a modern metropolis with Taipei 101 dominating the skyline and showcasing the economic might of the country. What few realize however is that the city is almost completely surrounded by mountains and nature. This mixture of the ultra-modern with the natural environment is something that a lot of cities around the world would love to have access to, but here in Taipei, its just a part of every day life as the city is and has always been defined by its mountains. 

Most tourists who visit Taiwan are already aware of mountains like Elephant Mountain or some of the others on the Four Beasts Trail, but when we actually talk about the mountains the ‘define’ the city, you don’t have to look any further than those found within Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園).

 The reason for this is because Yangmingshan National Park is home to twenty or more volcanoes in the Datun Volcano Group (大屯火山群) which have over the past two million years erupted and helped to form much of the landscape of the Greater Taipei region. 

You’ll be relieved to know though that even though there is still some thermal activity taking place in the area, most of those volcanoes have since gone dormant and don’t appear to pose any danger. The post-volcanic activity however is something that we can all enjoy the area is now home to a large collection of natural hot springs and fumaroles which have been harnessed and converted into public baths. 

Despite their historic significance, it’s likely that most residents of Taipei would have a hard time telling you the names of any of the mountains in the Datun Volcano Group with the exception of Qixing Mountain (七星山).

This is because Qixing Mountain, which is often translated (quite literally) as “Seven Star Mountain” (I won’t be using this name here) is not only the highest mountain of the group, it is also the highest peak in the whole of Taipei.

And because it has become a popular local tourist attraction for hikers, bird watchers, photographers and nature lovers! 

The mountain, which at its highest stands at 1,120 metres (3,675 ft) above sea level gets its name from an event that took place more than 700,000 years ago when it last erupted and not from anything that has to do with ‘stars’ as the English name might suggest. It name is derived from what happened post-eruption when the crater at the peak eroded and after many thousands of years created seven separate peaks on the mountain.

Today the volcano lies dormant, but the steaming fumaroles that surround it (and often cover the mountain in a layer of mist) speak to its long history of geothermal activity. 

Prior to the arrival of the Chinese Nationalists, the area we refer to as “Yangmingshan” was simply referred to as “Grass Mountain” (草山). In 1950, President Chiang Kai-Shek decided to rename the area in commemoration of Ming Dynasty (明朝) scholar Wang Yangming (王陽明) and plans were made to create a national park to preserve the natural environment. 

In the years since the creation of the Yangmingshan National Park, the area has been developed for tourism and outdoor recreation and has become a popular place year-round for hiking, cherry blossom and flower viewing, bathing in hot springs, etc.

More important with respect to this blog post is that the local government has constructed a large network of hiking trails within the National Park area and you can rest assured that the city’s highest peak, Qixing Mountain is well-serviced by these trails. Visitors to the area are provided (free of charge) several well-developed trails where you’ll be able to safely hike to the peak. You’ll also find several rest stops along the way where you can have a seat and enjoy the scenery. 

Taipei has quite a few mountains but most people would agree that hiking Qixing Mountain is probably one of those things that every resident of Taipei should do at least once in their life. If you’re a tourist visiting the country, it is also highly recommended that you take some time to enjoy some of the best scenery Taipei has to offer. 

The problem for a lot of tourists though is that there isn’t really much useful information about hiking the mountain and what little is available rarely ever gives a complete picture of how to get there, how long its going to take you or any of the other pertinent information that you’re going to need to complete the hike. 

I hope that this guide helps out with that and answers any and all of the questions you might have. 

Hiking Qixing Mountain

So you’re probably here because you’ve decided to hike Qixing Mountain and you have a few questions. Usually those questions are: “How do I get there?”. “Where do I start?”, “How long will it take?”, “Where do I finish?” and “What will I need?”

I’m going to try to answer all of those questions for you here. 

Where do you start and where do you finish? 

There are three different trailheads for this mountain - One that starts a short walk from the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal and two others that are much further away (and will likely require taking a shuttle bus to get to). 

You may be thinking to yourself that the closest trailhead is probably the best, but as you might expect, the trail is much longer and you’ll end up missing out on a lot of the great vantage points for scenery that you get on the other trails. The other two trailheads start at ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ (小油坑), an area with a giant steaming fumarole and ‘Lengshuikeng’ (冷水坑), another popular spot where you’ll find some public hot spring baths. 

When it comes to where you expect to finish the hike, once again, it depends on where you start and how much you plan on hiking - If you start your hike at Lengshuikeng for example, you can hike to the peak and then have the option of either heading back the way you came or making your way toward ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ or ‘Miaopu’ to complete your hike. 

I’ve hiked all three, so if you were ask me, I’d suggest taking the shuttle bus to Lengshuikeng, hiking to the peak and then descending to Xiaoyoukeng, which is considered the ‘full circuit’. Once you’re at the trailhead, you’ll be able to get on the bus much more easily than you would if you started in the opposite direction.

I’ll talk more about the routes a little later.  

How long does it take to complete the hike? 

That really depends on what trailhead you’re starting your hike on, where you plan on finishing and how long you stop to rest or take photos. If I were to give an estimate of the amount of time it would take to complete the hike, I’d probably say that you should be prepared for around three hours, but that includes time to stop as well as for enjoying some time on the peak.

One thing about Qixing Mountain that can be frustrating is the amount of mist that covers the mountain. If you’re hoping to take nice photos of the landscape, you might want to stick around for a little while until the mist clears up. This will add on a bit of time to your hike but it is well worth your time.

What will you need for the hike? 

I recommend wearing a good pair of water-proof hiking boots or sneakers and bringing a wind-breaker / raincoat as it is often windy and damp on the peak. Here is where I’d caution you - even if its a sweltering hot summer day and you plan on doing this hike, you should probably still bring a wind-breaker with you for the hike as the temperature at higher-altitudes (in addition to the strong wind) can be chilly. 

You should also bring some water and snacks, which you can easily purchase at the 7-11 across from the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal. You’re not going to need a bunch of hiking gear for this one as it is essentially a well-developed sidewalk that just so happens to bring you to the top of the mountain.

Just don’t show up in high-heels.  

Yangmingshan’s ‘Flower Seasons’ (陽明山花季)

One thing you’ll want to make a mental note of is that Yangmingshan is home to several annual blooming seasons for different kinds of flowers or blossoms. Flower viewing, or “Hanami” (花見) is an extremely popular activity in Taiwan and is only exacerbated by wannabe Instagram celebrities who travel around the country taking photos of themselves for all the likes on the ‘gram. 

During the various blooming seasons, traffic on Yangmingshan becomes quite unbearable with thousands of people visiting each day. This means that if you plan on hiking the mountain during one of these seasons, you may have to contend with quite a few other visitors which means longer lines for the buses and traffic jams on the road to the mountain.

It also means that you’re driving a car or scooter, you’ll have to be aware that the local government puts traffic control measures in place which limits all but local traffic from the mountain.   

Cherry Blossom Season (櫻花季) - February - April (2月 - 4月)

Calla Lily Season (海芋季) - February - May (2月~5月下旬)

Hydrangea Season (繡球花) - May - June (5月中旬~6月下旬)

Silver Grass Season (芒草季) - October - November (10月-11月)

  • Just for reference, almost all of the photos in this blog post were taken during Silver Grass Season.

The Yangmingshan National Park also holds an annual “Yangmingshan Flower Festival” (陽明山花季) which is generally held for a period of two weeks in mid-February and usually coincides with the Lunar New Year holiday. If you plan on hiking the mountain at this time, good luck!

Trailheads

As I mentioned above, there are three different trailheads for hiking Qixing Mountain for you to choose from, each of which comes with some pros and cons. I’m going to introduce each of the them below and try to give you a better idea of what to expect. 

Xiaoyoukeng - Qixing Main Peak (小油坑 - 七星山主峰) 1.6km 

If you’re taking the bus, the first trailhead you’re going to reach is the one that starts directly next to the ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ bus stop, which is situated next to the ‘Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Centre’ (小油坑旅遊服務站). As you approach the stop you’re likely to notice quite a bit of mist in the air - this is because ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ is actually a giant steaming fumarole in the side of the mountain.

If you’re getting off the bus here, I’d recommend taking a few minutes to go check out the fumarole viewing area, which is a short distance away from the trailhead.  

The Xiaoyoukeng portion of the trail has the added bonus of being able to walk past much smaller steaming fumaroles throughout the hike, which makes this something you won’t want to miss. The thing is though, you need to be really careful not to get too close to them and pay attention to the warning signs.

I completely understand that your brain might be telling you that you should touch one of the steaming rocks to see if they’re really hot, but believe me, they are.

You don’t want to burn yourself and ruin your day, so enjoy their geothermal beauty while staying safe. 

One of the reasons I like this trail so much is that as you hike to the top the environment changes and when it does, so do the varieties of trees and plants that you encounter along the trail.

You’re also likely to run into a completely ambivalent local species of partridge feeding along the trail.

The trail from Xiaoyoukeng to the peak of Qixing Mountain is by far the shortest of all the trails, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a good thing. The trail is actually a lot more steeper than the other two trails, so if you hike to the peak on this trailhead, you’re likely to get a bit more of a work out.

Whether that is a pro or a con is up to you - What I will say though is that the trail is often shrouded in mist from the fumarole and even though there are places to stop and check out the view, you’ll have to be pretty lucky to be able to see much of anything. 

If hiking directly the peak is your thing though, this trail is probably your quickest, no-nonsense route. 

Lengshuikeng - Qixing Main Peak (冷水坑 - 七星山主峰) 2.1km

‘Lengshuikeng’, despite its literal name “Cold Water Valley” (冷水坑), is home to popular hot spring baths where you can bathe in the public pools at a high elevation. Even though the baths tend to be quite popular on weekends, they aren’t nearly as busy as what you’d find in Beitou, so the people who visit get to enjoy their time in relative seclusion.

And the general embarrassment of a public bath. 

The area is home to not only the hot springs and the trailhead for Qixing Mountain but also a historic suspension bridge, Milk Lake (牛奶湖), a waterfall and a path that brings you to the popular Qingtiangang Recreation Area (擎天崗).

For the purpose of this blog though, the important thing is that the area is home to the trailhead for Qixing Mountain (of which there are more than one), a bus stop, a large parking lot for cars and scooters and a visitors centre with (rather nice) public washrooms. 

The main trailhead is conveniently located directly across from the parking lot and is easy to find as it is marked by not only a trailhead marker, but also has large sign with a map of the trail and some information about the hike. 

The hike on this trail starts out rather steep, but after a few minutes of hiking you’ll reach a point where the incline is much more comfortable and you’ll be able to enjoy the amazing views behind you. When you’re about halfway up the hill, you’ll reach a large Chinese-style pavilion where you can rest or take photos.

A short distance from there you’ll find the Qixing Mountain Park (七星山公園) in one direction and the ‘Meng Huan’ Lake (夢幻湖) in the other. The lake is quite beautiful, so you might want to take a detour for a few minutes to check it out.

The park likewise is a popular spot for taking night photos of the Taipei cityscape, so if you plan on sticking around to take photos, this spot is probably a good place to park your tripod.

Once you pass this area, the incline once again becomes a bit steep and after a bit of time you’ll reach the Eastern Peak (七星山東峰) where you can stop for a break.

Once there though, you’re only about 10-20 minutes away from the Main Peak (七星山主峰). 

If you’re looking for recommendations, I’d highly recommend you start your hike at ‘Lengshuikeng’.

This might mean taking the bus much further, but it also means that you’ll get to enjoy some really beautiful scenery with an ample amount of spots to stop and take some really pretty photos.

Likewise, if you aren’t planning on backtracking, it would be much easier to complete the ‘full circuit’ hike (which I’ll talk about below) so that you can enjoy both sides and easily hop on the bus at ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ when you’re done.

Miaopu Trail - Qixing Main Peak (苗圃登山口 - 七星主峰) 2.4km

For most tourists, it seems like the most commonly taken route for hiking Qixing Mountain is to start the hike at the Miaopu Trailhead (苗圃登山口). The trail is a short distance from the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal and situated directly next to the Yangmingshan National Park Visitor Centre (陽明山國家公園遊客中心).

This means that if you start your hike from this route, you eliminate the need to take the shuttle bus from the bus terminal to the other trailheads and you won’t have to wait for the shuttle bus when you complete the hike. 

Sounds great, right?  

It should go without saying that if you take this route to the peak and back down, that you’re going to be hiking for a distance of around five kilometres - which is a much longer than the other trails.

You’re also going to miss out on some of the best vantage points with regard to scenery as well as missing the steaming fumaroles at ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ and the hot spring bath area at ‘Lengshuikeng’ as this trail more or less creates a “T” between the other trails. 

The great thing about this route is that for most of the hike, you are protected under the cover of trees, so if it is an excruciatingly hot day, or if it is raining, you’ll be able to complete most of the hike with a bit of protection from the elements.

This trail though is most popular with foreign tourists (as a lot of people don’t know how to get to the other trailheads) so you’re likely to come across quite a bit of tourists along the trail.

If you’re not new to Taiwan and you’ve hiked the mountain before, I’d say that this route is probably a pretty good one if you just want to hike to the peak without the fuss of dealing with buses, traffic or any of the scenic photo spots on the other trails. For me though, hiking a mountain is never a race to the top and I would hate to go all the way to Yangmingshan and miss out on the opportunity for taking photos. 

Qixing Mountain Circuit (小油坑 - 冷水坑) 3.7km

While some people might prefer hiking to the peak of the mountain from one of the trailheads and then heading back the way they came, I’d actually suggest that you instead complete the entire hike from one side to the other rather than backtracking.

If completing the entire hike sounds better to you, take it from me, you should hop on the shuttle bus from the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal and take it all the way to the ‘Lengshuikeng’ bus stop.

From there you’ll hike to the peak of the mountain and once you’re done you can complete your hike by heading down the mountain toward ‘Xiaoyoukeng’. 

The reason why I suggest taking this route is because it is considerably easier getting on the bus at ‘Xiaoyoukeng’ than it is at ‘Lengshuikeng’ which often has long lines.

I also don’t mention the Miaopu trailhead here because that specific trail takes you up the mountain in a different direction and means that you’ll miss out on some of the best scenery.  

I know, it might seem like completing the full circuit sounds longer in terms of the amount of time and the distance you’ll travel, but if you do the math, it is more or less going to be the same and you’ll get to experience the mountain from both sides.

So completing the entire circuit is probably your best option and is what I recommend. 

Getting There

Map of routes for hiking Taipei's Highest Peak, Qixing Mountain (七星山). www.goteamjosh.com/

Hiking Qixing Mountain might be a challenge for some, but getting there is a challenge for almost everyone.

The thing about hiking Qixing Mountain is that you first have to deal with the notoriously horrid traffic on Yangming Mountain - Whether it’s going up the mountain or heading down after your hike, you’re unfortunately going to get stuck in traffic. This is part of the reason why I don’t hike the mountain as often as I’d like.

So, let’s discuss some of the best ways to get to the mountain. 

The first thing you’re going to have to decide is what your hike is going to entail - Are you going to hike the full circuit? Or are you going to hike from one of the trailheads to the peak and then leave the way you came? These are important questions to ask yourself, because it is going to dictate the method by which you get yourself to the trailhead. 

If you live in Taipei and own a scooter, or have rented one for the duration of your visit, you can easily ride your scooter up Yangming Mountain to either one of the trailheads, park it and then be on your way. The thing is though, if you park it at one of the trailheads, you’re going to have to come back down the way you came, which means that you’ll probably not be able to hike the whole trail.

There is of course the possibility of hiking the full trail and then when when you arrive at the trailhead taking a bus to where you parked your scooter, but that might end up forcing you to wait quite a while. 

Likewise, if you have a car, you could drive to either Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑) or Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) and park in one of the public parking spots. The thing about this option though is that the standard Taipei parking fees apply, so if you park in either of the parking spots for several hours, you’re going to have to pay quite a bit.

You might also think that you could just park along the side of the road and avoid the fees, but I guarantee if you do, your car won’t be there when you finish your hike.

You’re also going to have to deal with terrible traffic jams on the way down as the traffic congestion on the mountain in the late afternoon is terrible.

Scooters are okay, but I’d really caution against driving a car. 

If you’re asking me, I think your best option is to just take public transportation. 

Sure, it might be a bit more of a pain in the ass, but you’ll be happier to not have to deal with all the traffic, you’ll have the option of completing the full hike and it will be a lot cheaper. 

If you’re going to make use of public transportation, you have a number of options: 

  1. Taipei Main Station (台北車站) - Yangmingshan Station (陽明山站) - You can catch Bus #260 at Taipei Main Station’s “North 2” (北二門) exit. The bus will take you to the Yangmingshan bus transfer station where you’ll transfer to Bus #108 which will take you to both trailheads.

  2. Jiantan MRT Station (劍潭捷運站) - Yangmingshan Station (陽明山站) - From the bus terminal just outside of the MRT station take Bus Red #5 (紅5) to the Yangmingshan bus transfer station where you’ll transfer to Bus #108 which will take you to the trailheads. Conveniently, a new route (S15/小15) has been added that takes you directly from Jiantian to Qingtiangang. If you prefer to start the hike from there, this one is pretty convenient

  3. Shipai MRT Station (石牌捷運站) - Yangmingshan Station (陽明山站) - From the bus terminal just outside the MRT station take Bus #8 (小8) to the Yangmingshan bus transfer station where you’ll transfer to Bus #108 which will take you to the trailheads.

  4. Beitou MRT Station (北投捷運站) - Yangmingshan Station (陽明山站) from the bus terminal just outside the MRT station take either Bus #9 (小9) or Bus #230 to the Yangmingshan bus transfer station where you’ll transfer to Bus #108 which will take you to the trailheads.

  5. Donghu MRT Station (東湖捷運站) - Yangmingshan Station (陽明山站) from the bus terminal just outside the MRT station take Bus #681 to the Yangmingshan bus transfer station where you’ll transfer to Bus #108 which will take you to the trailheads.

You’ll probably have noticed that no matter which option you take, you’re going to have to transfer at the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal (陽明山公車站) and then hop on the #108 shuttle bus to whichever trailhead you plan on starting at.

One thing that you’re going to want to keep in mind is that there are two bus #108’s and that if you get on the wrong one, you’re not going to get to any of the trailheads. So, to ensure that you get on the correct bus, make sure you get on Bus #108 (陽明山遊園公車) and not “Bus #108區” which takes you to Erziping (二子坪).

They have adequate signage on the bus that should prevent you from making the mistake, but it’s best to remind you anyway.  

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that Bus #108 runs every 30-40 minutes on weekdays and every 20-30 minutes on weekends between the hours of 7:00am - 5:30pm.

This means that buses tend to be few and far between and if you spend too much time on the mountain, you might get stuck if you come down too late. Make sure to keep track of time and don’t expect that there is going to be room for you on the last bus of the day, especially on weekends when the trails are busier. 

Link: Bus #108 (陽明山遊園公園) Route Map (中文)

Link: Yangmingshan National Park Public Transportation (中文)

You thought I’d forget a picture of the peak?

If you need real time info for the bus stops, check the Taipei eBus website for more information. You may also want to download the “台北等公車” smart phone app which uses GPS to let you map your route more easily.

If you decide to start your hike from the Miaopu Trailhead (苗圃登山口), you won’t have to transfer to Bus #108. You’ll instead just get off the bus at the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal, cross the road and make your way to the Yangmingshan National Park Visitor Centre (陽明山國家公園遊客中心) where you’ll find the trailhead nearby. Fortunately I don’t need to offer too much in terms of directions here as the directions to the visitor centre and the trailhead are very well marked for pedestrian traffic.

If you do decide to drive a scooter or a car, the addresses for both trailheads are below. You can input either the English or the Chinese into Google Maps or your GPS which will map the best route to the parking lots next to to the trailheads. 

  1. Lengshuikeng (冷水坑): No. 170, Lane 101, Jingshan Road, Shilin District, Taipei City (台北市士林區菁山路101巷170號)

  2. Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑): No. 60, Zhuzihu Road, Beitou District, Taipei City. (台北市北投區竹子湖路69號)

As far as hiking goes, even though Qixing Mountain is Taipei’s highest peak, it tends to be one of the easier mountains in the city in terms of difficulty. You’re not going to have much trouble hiking this one, so feel free to bring your family, friends, dogs and cats along with you to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the experience.

As far as the scenery goes, if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with good weather and clear skies, you’re going to be rewarded with spectacular views of the mountainous landscapes as well as the Taipei cityscape on one side and the northern coast on the other.

That being said, weather conditions in the area tend to change quickly and the view is often obscured by the mist created by the thermal activity taking place on the mountain. So, you need to remember that even if you start this hike on a perfectly clear day, you may not end up being able to enjoy the hike as much as you’d like. If you do end up hiking on a day where there is a lot of mist, don’t feel too bad as I think there is a certain beauty on Taiwan’s mountains when they’re covered in mist and clouds.

I tend to look on the bright side and I think that even though the varying conditions on this mountain might disappoint some, it makes for a much more interesting experience. If you’re in Taipei and you have a bit of time, I highly recommend hiking Qixing Mountain as it offers one of the best high-mountain experiences that you’re going to have without traveling south.

If you do climb the mountain, have fun, be safe and be careful of the partridges. 

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