Xiaozishan Trail in Pingxi, Taiwan
uncut drone footage of Mother Peak on Xiaozishan Trail.
Guide to the Pingxi Railway 平溪支線鐵路指南
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The Pingxi Railway in New Taipei has some of the most popular attractions in Northern Taiwan. With a total of 7 stations (plus 2 if you count Ruifang and Houtong), there are endless places to explore, eat, hike, and enjoy Taiwan's history, culture, and natural beauty all in one place.
Background:
Before the Pingxi Railway was built, during the Qing Dynasty a section of the Danlan Old Trail ran through roughly the same area, connecting Yilan to Tamsui. The Japanese completed the Pingxi Railway in 1921 in order to transport coal from the area. Most all of the stations and villages along the line were economically reliant on the coal industry until its downfall in the late 1990s.
The coal industry remained strong after the ROC took over Taiwan after WWII, but slowly waned in the 1980s and 1990s due to the decrease in global coal prices.
In the year 2000, Sanxia’s Lifeng Mine shut down operations, and Taiwan’s mining company closed, and thus all coal mining in Taiwan effectively stopped.
The Pingxi Railway is a single track that is 12.9 KM long with 7 stations.
Recently the government has offered many plans to connect the Pingxi Railway to the Taipei MRT via Jingtong to Jingmei, however due to many factors these plans have never been approved.
The area around Pingxi and Ruifang is made up of sedimentary rock which easily erodes, creating many large waterfalls such as Shifen Falls, and pointy jagged peaks like the Pingxi Crags.
Popular activities along the Pingxi Railway include hiking, river tracing, eating at one of the many old streets, setting off sky lanterns, and exploring the many historical coal mining sites.
Hours:
The first train reaches Sandiaoling daily at 5:25 AM and the last train leaves Jingtong at 8:33 PM.
Price:
80 NT per person for a one day pass
When to go:
Any time of year is great. However, waterfalls are most enjoyable during the hot summer, and you may want to come for lantern festival when hundreds of sky lanterns are set off at once.
To avoid crowds and packed trains, do not go on weekends or holidays.
How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, buy the Pingxi Railway line one day pass, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at any station!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. You can drive right or left to reach all of the stations on the Pingxi Railway line. But please know there is limited car parking around the stations.
Sandiaoling Station 三貂嶺車站
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Sandiaoling is a small station along the Pingxi Railway, near Shuoren Village that was once reliant on coal mining. Officially the first station along the Pingxi Line, it is popular with hikers for nearby trails to waterfalls. The village also has a few historical sites such as the Sandiao Mine and Shuoren Elementary School. There are also quite a few tea and coffee shops here, perfect for resting hikers to relax. Sandiaoling Station is the only train station in Taiwan that is inaccessible by car; it can only be reached by foot.
Background:
The name Sandiaoling Comes from the Spanish name Santiago, which was the name the Spanish gave to the of the nearby Fulong Village and Santiaogo Cape in when they landed there in 1626. Sandiao is the Taiwanese transliteration of Santiago.
During the Qing Dynasty, Sandiaoling was also a town along the Danlan Old Trail that connected Taipei to Yilan.
The Pingxi Line was completed in 1921 by the Japanese for coal transport, and opened to travelers in 1929.
The reason that Sandiaoling Station is inaccessible by road is that originally it was only meant as a stop for railway workers who were directing trains at the fork here. Trains from Sandiaoling can either go up the Pingxi Line or travel on to Yilan. Another reason is that the Keelung River acts as a natural barrier to the nearest road.
In 1968, another track was added between Houtong Station and Sandiaoling Station, so as to prevent train accidents, as Sandiaoling is a convergence of the Pingxi and Yilan lines.
Coal mining at Sandialing stopped in the 1980s with the decline of the coal industry in Taiwan.
In 2018, there were an average of 86 passengers per day to Sandiaoling Station.
Hours:
24/7 （first train comes at about 5:30 AM, last train leaves at about 10:30 PM, with one train coming every half hour or so)
How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Sandiaoling Station, and you have arrived!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shuangxi. You then need to take highway 102 past Mudan (牡丹) and then turn left onto Houmu Public Road (侯牡公路), take it to the end and you will reach Shuoren Village near Sandiaoling Station (you then need to walk about 5 mintues to get the station).
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Releasing lanturns in shifen, Taiwan
Shermen and I had so much fun writing wishes on our lanturn, releasing it and watching the firecrackers go off as it floats away into the night. Was quite startled when he lighted the firecracker.
Jhuilu Old Trail - The Most Extreme Hike in Taiwan (Zhui Lu Gu Dao -- 錐麓古道)
The precarious Jhuilu (Zhuilu) Old Trail is cut into the highest, sheer cliff face in the awe-inspiring Taroko Gorge. The Jhuilu Cliff is about 1.100 meter high, and if you step of the path at the steepest sections of the trail you will fall more than 500 meters down to the Liwu river below. Never mind the risk of falling, the true risk is from falling rocks from the sheer cliff face that continues straight up for several hundred meters. So always wear a helmet! The hammered out ledge that the trail follows across the cliff is only 60 centimeters wide at its narrowest. So watch every step you make! The 10.3km Jhuilu Old Trail follows the last remaining sections of the old and infamous Hehuan Mountain Road. The trail begins at Zimu (Cihmu) Bridge and runs east along the north wall of the gorge before recrossing at Swallow Grotto. Hikers have been known to abandon their plans when they actually looked up and saw where they were going.
The path was closed after a big earthquake in 1999, and reopened in 2008 on a permit-only basis. Applications must be made at least a week in advance and can be made online, though only on the Chinese section of the park's website (the park promises English applications will be available in the future).
Read my blog about how to apply for the hiking permit:
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