Taipingshan (aka Taipingshan National Forest Recreational Area 太平山國家森林游樂區) is a magical mountain paradise in Datong Township of Yilan County in Taiwan. It has an old Japanese-era logging railroad track which has mostly been abandoned, but part of it has been restored with a working train. In addition, there are hot springs, Taiwan’s largest alpine lake, hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore.

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Historical Background:

In 1906, the Japanese Indigenous Affairs police officers sent a team of men to Fanfan Mountain, where they discovered huge ancient cypress trees. Later the Japanese renamed the area Taipingshan and began logging the mountain in 1915.
The Taipingshan Forest Railway was completed in 1934 and had at least 12 stations, with the grade up the mountain ranging from 2-3%. Loggers relied heavily on wires and pulley systems to haul logs to the railway, which differentiates it from the Alishan Railway. Because of the extensive use of wires or iron donkeys, it was difficult to convert the entire railway to a tourist railway, therefore only a short section at Maosing remains for tourists.
The logging industry continued in Taiwan until it was banned in the 1980s, after which the area was converted into a forest recreation area in 1983 and opened to the public.
The mountains in Taipingshan range from 500 to 2000 meters high and are part of the northern central mountain range. The highest peak here is Nanhu Mountain at 3,740 meters high. The terrain generally consists of high mountains and deep valleys, which have been pushed up by the convergence of the Eurasian and Philippine plates, and eroded by torrential rains.
Taipingshan is 12,929 hectares and includes six major areas: Tuchang, Jioujhihze, Jhongjian, Taipingshan, Maosing, and Cueifong Lake.
Taipingshan holds the record for 24-hour rainfall in Taiwan of 1015 mm, recorded in 2016 during Typhoon Megi. The area is also one of the most accessible places in Taiwan to see snow during winter.
The forest recreation area is now a popular place for nature enthusiasts and hikers and is one of the top three most popular forest recreation areas in Taiwan.

Hours:

6 AM to 8 PM (open 4 AM on weekends)

Price:

150 NT for non-holidays, 200 NT for holidays
Cars: 100 NT
Scooters: 20 NT
Jioujhize Hot Springs: 250 NT in winter and 150 NT in summer
Bong Bong Train: 180 NT
You can buy a discount entrance ticket to Taipingshan on KKday here or book a tour on Klook here.

Website:

https://tps.forest.gov.tw

When to go?

The best weather in Yilan lasts from about March to November. During winter months there is constant rain due to the northeasterly winds. However, it can also snow on Taipingshan during winter.
Cherry Blossom Season: Cherry blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check our our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here

How to get to Taipingshan?

By Bus: Kuo-kuang departs from Yiland and Luodong at 7:40 and 8 AM, and arrives at Taipingshan at 10:30 AM. The bus then departs Taipingshan at 2:30 PM. You can book tickets to travel to Yilan via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can book tickets to Yialn via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
Bicycle rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
By Car/Scooter: From Taipei, take National Freeway 5 to Yilan, then turn southwest on provincial highway 7 until you reach the turnoff to Taipingshan via Yijhuan Route 1. Looking for scooter rental in Yilan? You can search Klook here or KKday here to look for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals in Yilan, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.

Tours and Activities:

You can purchase tours and tickets for many activities in Yilan such as Su’ao Crayon Castle, TaipingshanTurtle IslandInternational Children’s FestivalLanyang Museum, Toucheng Leisure FarmZhang Mei Ama Capybura FarmBambi LandYinong RanchNational Center for Traditional ArtsTaxi MuseumGlampingCampingATV / 4-wheeling experienceSUP / paddle boardingXimeng Forest TheaterSurfingKayakingHorse RidingRiver TracingRiver RaftingRiver TubingPack RaftingWater BikingSnorkelingCanoeingShrimping and many others through Klook here or KKday here

Where to Stay:

We have stayed at and recommend Ying Shih Guest House, a resort in Datong Township near Taipingshan and Fan Fan Hot Spring (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), and Jiaosi Hotspring Hotel, a hotel with hot springs in each room (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here). We have also stayed at Toucheng Leisure Farm, a recreational farm and experience center in Toucheng (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Klook here, or Trip.com here).
We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Map:

See a list of sites we will cover in this blog below.

Our Journey:

We have been to Taipingshan once, and we had a great time. We went in March when it was not too hot, not too cold, and it was great.

Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.
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Taipingshan is actually kind of an expensive place to visit, but it is similar in price to Alishan.

You can buy a discount entrance ticket to Taipingshan on KKday here or book a tour on Klook here.

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We paid a total of 500 NT for two adults and a car.

Tuchang Station 土場車站

Tuchang station was the connecting station between the flat land track that connected the Luodong and the Taipingshan line. The Luodong Line is now defunct but was 36 KM long and had ten stations. Even though much of the original track has been removed, the original station has been restored for tourist purposes, but of course, there are no train rides from here. This station is actually outside of the Taipingshan Forest Recreation area, and you will pass it before the ticket entrance.

Jioujhize (Jiuzhize) 鳩之澤

See above for our drone footage of Jioujhihze 鳩之澤.

Jioujhize is a hot spring area at the foot of the mountain, sitting at 520 meters above sea level. This area was first made into a hot spring resort by the Japanese, and the hot spring area is now run by the Forest Bureau.

360 view of Jiuzhize Hot Spring in Taipingshan Forest Recreation area. Not only is there a hot spring spa here, but also…

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Monday, March 9, 2020
Or see above for a 360-degree panorama of the area.
Near the parking lot, there is an area for cooking corn and eggs.
Jiuojhize Suspension Bridge crosses the river and leads to a trail loop nearby.
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Also near the parking lot is the hot spring resort area. The price for enjoying the hot springs is 150-250 NT depending on the season.
At the ticket counter for the hot springs, you can also purchase eggs and corn.
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Near the hot springs, you will notice a large plume of white smoke. This is what will become the first government-made geothermal power plant in Taiwan, four wells built in Jiuzhize, set to start generating power in 2021, bringing in 8MW.

Jhongjian Visitor’s Center 中間游客中心

Further up the road, you will come to Zhongjian Visitor’s Center, in front of which lies a giant intact iron donkey that was used to haul logs using wires. Originally these were American-made wood-burning steam engines, which were later replaced by gasoline and then diesel engines.
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View out the front door of the visitor’s center.
There are also some amazing views near the visitor’s center that you can see from the road. More photos in the gallery above.

Bailing Giant Tree 白嶺巨木

Also along the road which was once a ropeway to transport logs, you will find Bailing Giant Tree, which is a Taiwan Cypress 30 meters tall and also has a circumference of 34 meters. It is estimated to be 2500 years old. The tree is split in half and is held together by a wire, and you can walk inside.

Jiancing Historic Trail 見晴步道

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Jiancing Historic Trail is one of the most famous trails in the park that you don’t want to miss. It follows the abandoned train tracks of an old branch line, the Jiancing Logging Railway,
The main attraction here is mossy railroad tracks in fog, making for a distinct aura.
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Train track into the fog.
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View of the canopy above.
I highly recommend walking the whole trail.
We also saw monkeys on the side of the road, which seems to be a common sight.

Taipingshan Village 太平山莊

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First sign marking the arrival to Taipingshan Village.
The local police station has been renovated to resemble what it looked like during the Japanese era.

Taiping Village Service Center 太平山莊服務站

Taiping Village Service Center is the largest and most complete visitor’s center in the area and includes a souvenir shop.
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Taiping Village includes a central staircase which is kind of reminiscent of Jiufen. There are Japanese-era buildings on either side that have been renovated, including restaurants, exhibition halls, old dormitories, cafes, and bathrooms.
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View of the mountain scenery from the Bong Bong Train Station.
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Another view from nearby.

Bong Bong Train 蹦蹦車

See above for our drone footage of the Bong Bong Train, which connects Taiping Village with Maosing. The current train ride is only about 1 KM long.

360 view of the “Bumper” tourist train going through Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area. #碰碰車 #太平山國家森林遊樂區 #宜蘭

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Friday, March 13, 2020
Or check out our 360 degree view of the area above.
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Normally the price for the train is 180 NT per person but because it was under construction when we went, it was only 50 NT. The sad part is we could not make it to Maosing which has some historical buildings and nature trails, such as the Maosing Reminiscent Trail, the Cypress Forest Trail, and the Chinese Hemlock Forest Trail.
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View of the front of the Bong Bong Train.
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View of the train at a curve.
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View of the mountain valley below from the train.
There is another iron donkey near the Bong Bong Train station..
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Inside the train station, there are some displays and a gift shop.
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Another view from the station.
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Next we went on our way to Cuifeng Lake. On the road, there was an old wire track for transporting logs. But you can still see some virgin forest here, like this lone tree.
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Another amazing view of the mountain valley.
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Along the way we also spotted a pair of yellow-throated martens, which is rare to see in Taiwan, however, there are lots of them on Taipingshan.
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And they dispersed quite quickly.

Sunrise Pavilion 日出景觀

 
 
 
Along the way to Cuifeng Lake, there is a sunrise pavilion which is a popular place to see the sunrise.
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Entrance to the circular Cuifeng Lake Trail.
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View from the Cuifeng Lake Parking Lot.
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Taipingshan Villa is the most coveted accommodation on the mountain. From here you can easily hike to see the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, and this place is a gold-star eco-hotel.
 

Cueifong Lake 翠峰湖

See our drone footage of Cuifeng Lake above. We went in March when the water level was not full. In the summer the water level in the lake fills over and overflows. This is the largest alpine lake in Taiwan.

360 view of Cuifeng Lake in Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area. From here you can see the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. Too bad the clouds were already rolling in before I could see the view. #翠峰湖 #太平山 #宜蘭

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
 
 
You can also check out our 360 degree panorama of the area above.
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Map of the circular trail around the lake.
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From here you can hike 1 KM to the sunrise pavilion, where you can see views of the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, the afternoon fog had already started to come in so there was no view.
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Boardwalk around the lake.
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View from the platform on the east side.
 
This was supposed to be the first “silent trail” in Taiwan, but a tour group quickly ruined the silence.
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View of the lake via drone.
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That was the end of the trip, and we had fun getting stuck in traffic in the Xueshan Tunnel on the way home to Taipei.
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If you have time, you can also check out the nearby wild Fanfan Hot Spring which is free to visit. For more about this place, see our blog here.

You can buy a discount entrance ticket to Taipingshan on KKday here or book a tour on Klook here.

You can purchase tours and tickets for many activities in Yilan such as surfing, kayaking, horse riding, river tracing, river rafting, river tubing, pack rafting, water biking, snorkeling, canoeing, and many others through Klook here or KKday here.

You can see our full guide to Yilan here.
Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here and our full guide to Taiwan’s East Coast here.

 

You can also check out our full guide to Taiwan here.

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