Dragon’s Head Mountain is a sloping ridge that goes around Duona Bridge and looks like a sleeping dragon. This trail is also known as “The Small Great Wall” (小長城) because of its resemblance to hiking the Great Wall of China, as the trail is built along the top of a mountain ridge. Don’t miss out on the breathtaking views from this trail.
🏖️ Planning your trip to Kaohsiung? 🐒
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Winter when temperatures are cooler and there is less rain
- How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: Mingli Hotel or IHI Sandup Hotel which are great value choices located downtown.
- Book tours and activities in Kaohsiung on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
The Little Great Wall in Maolin was built in 2014 and was opened to the public in 2016. During its grand opening, over 40,000 visitors came to see it. Since then, it has been a favorite spot for influencers, instagrammers, and lovers of nature. Although the trail is only 1 KM long, it connects with the Duona Suspension Bridge, so it is possible to hike a much longer loop around Dragon Head Mountain.
Price:
Free
Hours:
24/7
Difficulty
Easy: Wooden boardwalk trail that is not very steep.
Time to complete: 30 minutes
Elevation gain: 60 m
Distance traveled: 1 km
When to go:
I recommend going in the summertime when the waterfalls have plenty of water and warm temperatures make it a great time to go swimming. In winter, it will be cold, and the waterfalls can dry up.
On the other hand, if you want to go just for hiking, winter would be a better time to go.
If there is a Typhoon, the inhabitants of Maolin will be evacuated, and you should not try to go in for your own safety.
When is Maolin Butterfly Season?
If you are coming to see butterflies, the butterfly migration begins in September and ends roughly in November.
Check out our full Maolin Butterfly Season Guide here.
How to get there:
By Car: Maolin can be reached via provincial highway 27 from Pingtung or Liugui. Once you come to Dajin Bridge, go straight up the mountain. After you pass Wanshan village, follow the signs to Meiyagu Falls. There is a parking lot with free parking at the trailhead. Looking for scooter rental in Kaohsiung? You can check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can search Qeeq here, KKday here, or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bus: You can take a bus there, but I don’t recommend it. It’s a 3-hour bus ride from Pingtung Bus Station. If you can rent a car or scooter, it is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Kaohsiung. You can book tickets to travel to Kaohsiung via inter-city bus on Klook here.
You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here.
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
You can also book a Kaohsiung Travel pass here.
Where to Stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Klook here) which are three inexpensive and high-quality choices in downtown Kaohsiung. I also have stayed at and recommend Kaohsiung Meinong Rabbit Paul Homestay B&B (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a quiet B&B in rural Meinong, and Chengching Lakeside Resort (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com ) and the Grand Hotel Kaohsiung (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com) which both offer breakfast buffet and free entrance into Chenqing Lake Park. I have also stayed at the 85 Sky Tower which offers great views of the city; you can search for rooms in the 85 Sky Tower on Agoda here, Booking.com here)
Find out more about where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as Pier 2, Meinong Hakka Museum, Hamasen Railway Museum, Suzuka Circuit Park, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, National Science and Technology Museum , Senya Village Restaruant, Austin Land, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and many more on Klook here or KKday here.
Map:
Check out the map above.
Drone Footage
You can also check out our 360-degree panorama above.
Our Journey:
I have been to the Little Great Wall trail at least three times. It is one of the best hikes in Maolin, and is easily accessible. You can park either at the other side of Duona Suspension Bridge or at the top of Longtou Mountain. The hike is not very long, but the views are breathtaking.
You could say the hike officially starts at the “head” of Dragon Head Mountain, which has a pavilion on the top of it.
From there, you walk uphill along the dragon’s neck, or along the ridge of the mountain.
The hike here is pretty flat and the views are nice.
Back when I visited in 2014, some of the boards here were rotten, but they have since replaced them.
The little great wall continues along the ridge here. Here you can see Snakehead Mountain in the background.
View of the great wall with Duona Suspension Bridge in the background.
Another view looking back down the mountain.
View looking up Meiya Valley from the other side of Duona Suspension Bridge.
Longtoushan is on the right of this image.
The Dragon Head then continues to this his where there is a pavilion which is also pictured above.
Aerial view from above the Small Great Wall.
The small great wall then connects with this small paved road that leads to Duona Suspension Bridge.
Another view from above Duona Suspension Bridge.
Duona Suspension Bridge (aka Duonagao Suspension Bridge 多納高吊橋) is the highest pedestrian suspension bridge in Southeast Asia, featuring amazing views of the Zhuokou River and Maolin’s mountainous landscape. The bridge is part of a trail that connects the top of a ridge-line, giving hikers 360 views of the river valley and surrounding landscape.
Also, be sure to check out our full guide to Maolin here.
You can check out our full travel guide to Kaohsiung here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
