に続く道である。貂山古道の麓側は、本来瑞三金鉱があった脇を通り、牡丹溪を渡って現在の古道へと続いていた。鉱山閉鎖後は、その道は使われずに自然に戻っていた。年初に暖曦探勘隊がその道を復活させた。今回は、下山の際にこの道を通って十三層老樹へと下った。この旧道を除いて、以前に歩いているので、英語で記述する。
---------------------
Taiwan once was the biggest gold supplier in the east Asia a century ago. Jiufen (九份) and its adjacent Jinguashi (金瓜石) was the gold town of the time. Houses clinging to the steep mountain slope were lit throughout night and clearly observed from ships sailing in and out of Jilong port (基隆港). It was then called a little Hongkong, connotating prosperity of the place. The town was abandoned after the gold supply dried up in 1980s. It was later revived as a tourist attraction like today's Jiufen old town (九份老街). The destination of our hike is closely related to the gold story of the place.
 |
| Route of the day, traversing from west to east |
The mountain range above Jiufen includes Mt. Mudan-shan (牡丹山). There was a big open quarry for gold near this peak and a gold mine at its feet along Mudan-xi river (牡丹溪). A trail going along the river served as a main passage for gold mining in the past. This trail is now called Diaoshan historical trail (貂山古道). There is another historical trail crossing over this mountain, Jinzibei trail (金字碑古道, meaning gold lettered stone monument). This one was constructed by the Ching government in the 19th century as a part of an official road connecting Taipei and Yilan (宜蘭).
 |
| Location of the hiking route relative to the ocean and Taipei |
A group of volunteer hikers, Nuanxi Ecology and Hiking club (暖曦生態健行會), came in the bottom part of Daoshan trail and brought back the abandoned part of the trail to be passable early this month. That part goes near a mine portal but has long since been destroyed by landslide. The group built a path along the damaged section and added ropes for safety. They also cleared weeds on the track for easy passage. We took this section of the trail on our way down and came across a unique Tudigong stone shrine (土地公祠).
 |
| All members at Tanyouting (探幽亭) |
--------------------
 |
| Commuter train gets half empty after Xike Station |
Mountains near Taipei are nice and easy to access for hiking. It would be very hot, though, when you go there in summer. On a sunny day of winter, on the contrary, they are really enjoyable at comfortable temperature. We left Taipei at 7:30 by a commuter train. It was a week day and the train was full of commuters until it called at Shike (汐科) station. Our half empty train arrived at Houtong (猴硐) 8:35.
 |
| At junction for Jinzibei trail |
 |
| Former Houtong primary school |
 |
| Trail head beyond the bridge |
Passing through the residential section we come to a junction where a road up to Jinzibei trail splits to the right. We take this road and pass by a former Houtong primary school. This school facility was damaged by flood of typhoon in the year 2000 and the school moved to another site. The damaged school building has since been restored and modified to be a ecology center. We go up a road seeing Mudan-shan up ahead and come to the head of Jinzibei trail at 9:12. Our body has warmed up by now and many of us take a jacket off.
 |
| Gentlely ascending steps |
 |
| Resting point |
It has been several years since I last hiked this trail. It is now designated a part of
the Danlan national trail system (or Tamsui-Kavalan trails 淡蘭古道) north line. It gets official maintenance and good signage like new sign posts. The first section of the trail is of continuous steps. At 9:32 we come up to a point where benches are provided on a small platform and have a rest.
 |
| A point of land slide |
After a short break we resume our ascent and pass through a damaged spot by land slide, which has been repaired with new steps. A big flat rock surface with gold letters shows up in front. This is the Jinzibei monument, on which a poem by Liu Mingdeng (劉明燈), military general, was engraved in 1867 on a big rock by the trail. Another 10 minutes of climb brings us up to the summit at 10:14. This is a highest point of the trail and a junction with ridge trail on both sides. There is Tanyouting pavilion (探幽亭) and Fengxian shijinbei (奉憲示禁碑) stone tablet on a wide flat square. The tablet tells people not to cut trees in the area. A small Tudingong shrine stands at a corner, at which ancient travelers prayed for their safety.
 |
| Passing over boulders |
 |
| View from the top of Mt. Sandiaoling-sha |
 |
| Leaving the rest area for Buyianting |
We get back to the square at 10:54 and have a short rest before going for the other direction along the ridge line. The trail to Buyanting pavilion (不厭亭, meaning never-getting-bored pavilion) is not an official either but is indeed in very good shape. The trail is very wide and nice. As we go up, we come out of woods into grass fields. Very wide view shows up on either side of the ridge and makes everybody happy. At 11:19 we reach the summit of Mt. Sandiaolun (三貂崙 elev. 555m).
 |
| Trail is in good shape |
 |
| Getting out onto an open field |
In front of us stands the range of Mt. Mudan-shan and on our left below lies Houtong station in the valley. Across the valley finds
Mt. Wufen-shan (五分山), from which extends several familiar peaks like
Shulanjian (薯榔尖) of Pingxi (平溪) in a distance. In the direction of north finds the blue ocean beyond the coast line of Jilong (基隆). This is indeed a wonderful vantage point!!
 |
| Houtong station in the valley and Mt. Wufen-shan beyond |
 |
| Buyanting ahead |
We keep on the ridge trail, gradually going down to Buyanting pavilion, which we reach at 11:41. This pavilion stands at a corner of a large square by #102 road. Several cars are parked below the pavilion along the road. We have lunch break by the pavilion. The sun is high but not too hot, which is in fact very comfortable.
 |
| Having lunch at Buyanting |
 |
| The trail is across the road |
At 12:15 we leave Buyanting and tackle a steep slope across the road, which leads up to the ridge of Mudan-shan. The trail here is also very good, widely cleared of grasses.
When I first walked along this trail several years ago, the track was freshly cut out but not that wide and clean. I assume that volunteers keep this trail nice, which enables many people enjoy this hiking route. Ten minutes are enough for us to reach the ridge top. Once we are on the top, we follow it for 15 minutes passing a little ups and downs to the summit of Mt. Mudan-shan. The summit (elev. 660m) is also very neatly cleared of grasses and offers wide vistas.
 |
| Climbing steep slope |
 |
| Trail is pretty good |
 |
| Mudan-shan summit |
 |
| Panorama from Mudan-shan |
 |
| Members enjoying view from the tower base |
After 10 minutes of stay on the summit, we go further along the ridge trail to a junction. We take the left trail all the way to beneath a electric transmission tower where you can have a closer view of the ocean and the coast line. Going back to the junction down we go. At 13:07 we reach the bottom, which is the head of Diaoshan trail and a Tudingong shrine stands nearby. Another group of hikers are around having fun there.
 |
| Panorama from the tower base |
 |
| The trail head down below |
 |
| Looking back Mudan-shan |
 |
| Tudigong shrine by Diaoshan trail |
 |
| Start descending along Diaoshan trail |
At 13:25 we start our descent along Diaoshan trail. The trail is concrete paved and stepped. It gradually down along the valley of Mudanxi river. In twenty minutes we have come to a square of the grave of the unknown dead (無緣之墓). This old grave stone was elected in 1902 for the unknown person(s) died along the trail. There seems no dead body under the grave stone. It must be just for commemoration.
 |
| Rest area by the grave of the unknown person |
For what purpose was this stone elected? A story goes like this: A Japanese specialist of gold mining came to this valley for work in the early years of gold rush but disappeared. Because of no communication, his fiancee came over from Japan to find her future husband, but met very bad weather and passed away here. For such a tragedy the monument was elected by local people. There are other stories like: A Japanese specialist fell in love with a local girl. He went back to Japan for his parents' permission of marriage. When he was back, he found the girl died of sickness. He was so sad and elected the stone. The third story has it that two Japanese specialists came along and worked in this valley but one man died of accident. His friend elected the monument for memory. Nobody can tell which one is the right one, but all three are related to gold mining of this valley.
 |
| Remaining stone wall of the former mining office site |
 |
| Junction for the old section of the trail |
We go down for 10 minutes to pass by a site of former mining office. There is no building but stone walls that tells a bustling business was going on this remote mountain. Another 3 or 4 minutes bring us to a junction for the old section of Diaoshan trail. A fresh small direction sign is attached to a side tree.
 |
| Freshly weed-cleared steps |
The first section is rather rough with very steep and crumbling soil but soon shows up solid stone steps. Weeds covering steps have been neatly removed. They reveal that this was indeed a part of the trail in the past. We go down all the way to the stream at the bottom and cross it. Water is no much and stepping stones are placed for easy crossing. Going up to the other side we find a flat open flatform where broken electric transformers were left on ground. This site must have been with some facilities relating mining.
 |
| Final steps of the trail |
 |
| Chat with a local resident |
 |
| Bus stop |
We reach the bus stop of Shisanceng Laoshu (十三層老樹) at 14:51. A next bus will not come for another hour so we decide to walk about 2 and a half kilometers to Mudan train station (牡丹火車站). Under a nice weather it is a kind of leisurely stroll. 45 minutes walk brings us to the station at 15:37. The next train will come only at 16:28. Everybody kills time in each way like having food at a local shop. Our train home has come around a few minutes behind schedule, which took an hour to get to Taipei.
 |
| "Gold bridge" and Mt. Canguangliao-shan (燦光寮山) in the distance |
 |
| Easy stroll on the road to Mudan station |
 |
| Square in front of Mudan station |
 |
| Mudan-shan viewed from the station |
---------------------------
 |
| Most common type of Tudigong shrine |
We were very lucky on this hike. The weather was perfect and the air was clear enough for us to enjoy very distant sceneries. The trails, official or non-official, were all in good condition and easy to hike along. This route is very recommendable. If you find the old section of Diaoshan trail too hard, you can keep on the current trail down to the bus stop. The record shows that we walked 10.8 kilometers for about 7 hours inclusive of rests with a total ascent of 670 meters, descent 650 meters, which calculate the route physical index to be 23.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿