2022年11月9日 Mt. Guanyin-shan of Bali via small dirt paths 八里觀音山 小北插步道 - 鷹仔嶺 - 潮音洞 - 駱駝嶺 - 日軍營遺址 - 硬漢嶺 - 龍形古道 別のルートで觀音山を登る

淡水から望む対岸の觀音山、Mt. Guanyinshan seen from Danshui across the river (Oct. 2019)

台北淡水河河口の南岸に聳える觀音山は、その山並みの一つ占山が三角錐の形状で、その昔は淡水富士と呼ばれた。筆者はいままで、觀音山を何回か訪れているが、かなり多くある登山ルートで残っている部分を今回は歩いた。台北を含む台北北部は、10月に入って以来雨模様が続き、なかなか天高い秋は来なかった。やっと訪れた大晴天のもと、台北盆地全体を望み、その背後に重なる山並みまでしっかり展望する、よい山行であった。複数回記事を載せている觀音山は、今回は英語で記述します。

Mt. Guanyin-shan of Bali (八里觀音山) stands by the mouth of Danshui river (淡水河) just across the town of Danshui. On a clear day it can easily be seen from Taipei. It is said that the profile of the mountain skyline resembles a face of Buddhism Guanyin deity and so named. It is an independent block of mountain comprising of several peaks, one of which Mt. Zhan-shan (占山) was used to be called Danshui Fujisan (淡水富士) as its conical shape reminded Japanese residents of Mt. Fuji of Japan a century ago.

Start from the south end

However many times I have visited Guanyin-shan in the past, those many trails going around the mountain are not easy to exhaust all. A long period of rainy days in Taipei since early October broke off and a nice and clean day came at last. We just couldn't stay indoor but headed for the mountain. The long rain in fact washed off all dirty particles in the air and made the sky very clear, which enabled us to view a very faraway places. I would say the best day ever for my visit to this mountain.

Location of Guanyinshan relative to the Taipei basin

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Commuters are rushing towards the staton

Seven of us met at a bus stop near MRT Luzhou (蘆洲) station at 8:00. I have been to this place several times in the past ten years and found the expansion of housing at every time of my visit. More and more tall condominiums have been built. It is the high time for commuters to take the MRT as this is a weekday today. A swam of  people is rushing across the main street and towards the station entrance. 

#785 bus at Guayinshan bus stop

At Guanyinshan bus stop looking for Mt. Yingziling

Our bus #785 line has come at 8:15. This one goes over a long bridge, gets into a rather narrow and winding street and begins climbing. We alight at Guanyin-shan bus stop (elevation 93 meters), just same as the name of the mountain. The bus ride was a quarter hour. The bus goes all the way up to a famous Zen temple named Linyun-si temple (凌雲寺) at the half height of the mountain. A well-known trail called Yinghanling trail (硬漢嶺步道) starts by the temple, which provides an easier way to get to the summit of Yinghanling peak of Mt. Guanyin-shan. We are going to climb from the bottom of the mountain instead.

Fulongshan trail head

Turning right at this intersection

The sky is as clear and blue as it can be. We are full of sprits. We first walk along the road and get to the head of Fulong-shan trail (福隆山步道) at 8:37. We step on the stone paved trail and gradually go up for about a half kilometer to meet a road crossing the trail. This trail further leads up to the temple but we leave the trail here and take the road to right. It brings us to the head of Xiaobeicha trail (小北插步道) at 8:48.

Xiaobeicha trail head

Two elderly hikers climbing a steep slope

The Xiaobeicha trail is one of the trails to go up to Yingziling (鷹仔嶺), one of the peaks comprising the mass of Mt. Guanyin-shan. After a short section of rather moderate incline between a bamboo shoots farms, it gets steeper as we go up. A half hour of tiring ascent brings us to a spot where a nice vista of Taipei shows over trees and for a few more minutes to a small resting place (elev. 365m) perched on the ridge. We have our first break here.

A nice view over Taipei from the trail

A resting spot

A view from the rest spot, Chatian mountain range is covered with flowing cloud

Keep climbing a steep path

We resume our climb at 9:24. The trail is yet pretty steep, but lasts only 10 minutes and brings us to the summit of Yingziling (elev. 434m). There is a pavilion on a narrow summit surrounded by trees and several hikers are around. Though we have laboriously climbed to get to the summit, we are now going down to visit Chayindong cave (潮音洞) because it is located at the foot of the peak. 

At the summit of Yingziling

A pretty steep trail

We take another trail called Motianling (摩天嶺步道) to go down. This one is as steep as or even steeper than the Xiaobeicha trail that we have just came up. There are long sections of stairs at the bottom half. We reach the trail end at 10:08 where a small trail from the right meets. We take left and go up for several minutes to reach the Chaoyindong cave (elev. 233m) at 10:18.

Going down on stairs

Chaoyindong cave

Inside the cave

The cave is a natural formation and a temple has been built at its end. A small water stream runs along and makes the inside rather dump. After seeing the cave inside we have a rest at a small shelter next to the cave portal. We go up again at 10:31 after the rest. A steep stair way leads us up to a small Tudigong (土地公) by a paved road. We follow the paved road up, passing another shrine and onto Zhanshan trail (占山步道). This is the lowest point between the two peaks (elev. 338m). 

Climbing to the Tudigong shrine 

Tudigong shrine

Climbing the road with Yingziling peak behind

Take the left dirt path from Zhanshan trail

We take the stone paved trail and get to a point just a few steps away where a dirt trail diverging on the left. The dirt trail in fact goes parallel to the official paved trail. We prefer the dirt trail and take it, which goes up pretty steep at some points. It then goes just under the summit of Chaoyin-jian No.1 (潮音尖1號) and meets the paved trail. We get onto the paved trail and up to the summit (elev. 417m) to have a break at 11:16.

The parallel dirt path is pretty steep

Junction of Beiheng trail

A flat stretch of the Beiheng trail

Going up to Luotuoling summit

We follow the stone paved trail, going over another peak of Chaoyin-jian No.2 and get to a junction of Beiheng trail (北橫古道). This trail goes all the way around the mountain at its middle level. We take it and proceed on a rather level stretch for a few minutes and up for a while to a junction of Mt. Luotuoling (駱駝嶺, meaning camel peak). We take left and ascend to the summit of Luotouling (elev. 477m), where we reach at 11:55 and have a lunch break.

Luotuoling summit

Coming out onto the busy Yinghanling trail

Flat 358 trail

The summit of Mt. Luotuoyin is small with no view. We leave it at 12:29 for the summit of Yinghanling (elev. 616m), the highest point of Mt. Guanyin-shan. We further go up to hit the Yinghanling stone paved trail. A few minutes walk on the official trail brings us to another encircling trail called 358 trail which goes around the mountain at a higher level than the Beiheng trail. The trail passes by a remain of a Japanese military camp, which is just a small flat spaces surrounded with low stone piled walls. You would not notice it if you are not so informed. At 12:59 we come to a junction where a trail for the final approach to the summit of Mt. Guanyin-shan, where we reach at 13:14.

Remain of Japanese military camp

Last stretch to the summit

Yinghanling summit

Members at the summit

The vistas from the Yinghanling summit are simply breathtaking today. The entire Taipei basin spreads out including  major rivers and surrounding mountains beyond under the blue sky on the south . East of us find peaks of Yanmingshan (陽明山) and the town of Danshui (淡水) across the namesake river. The Taipei harbor is visible in the north and the blue ocean spreads out to the horizon. This is the best view that I have ever had!! Satisfied with viewing we have a rest just by the tall stone monument and enjoy the nice sunny afternoon.

South panorama viewing the entire Taipei basin

A view towards the east, Danshui town and mountains behind

North view

Leaving the summit

At 13:51 we finally leave the summit behind after a long break. We take the same trail for a short while and then a directly descending one at a junction. In 15 minutes we come to meet the 358 trail and cross it going further down. In another 10 minutes we hit the Beiheng trail and take left. The trail soon splits into two and we take the right one to meet Longxing trail (龍形古道). 

Junction with the 358 traversing trail

Take the right trail to meet Longxing trail

Wangliao

The trail goes down a while and gets to a junction. The way down is one on the left but we visit Wangliao (旺寮, elev. 387m) resting place first. There are a cabin made of steel sheets and some exercise equipment around on a small flat area. This is one of such facilities built by local people that we often come across on mountains near big cities . The place is empty now. Trees are tall but the south side affords a nice view. We can have a view of Mt. Zhan-shan and Taipei beyond.

A view from Wangliao

Going down Longxing trail by the cabin

The last leg of our hike is to go down along the Longxing trail. Some sections of it is steep but not difficult to pass. We come down to a cabin at 14:41. A man in the house tells that he have lived there for meditation for many years except occasional leave to the town below. The dirt trail lasts for another 15 minutes and meets a paved road (elev. 186m). The peak of Yinghanling is now very high when looking back.

Looking back at Yinghanlin peak

Going down between grave yards

There are many cemeteries on the east hillside of the mountain. The road goes between grave yards and down to Longxing on No. 15 trunk road (台15線). In front of us finds a unobstucted view of  Mt. Miantian-shan (面天山)  and Danshui, which gets nearer as we go down. We come down to the trunk road at 15:24 and take right to Longxing bus stop for another few minutes. There are many bus service lines along the road. We take a #704 bus back to Luzhou MRT station, except the two who take another line to a station of MRT red line across the Danshui river.

Junction with No. 15 road

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We walked seven hours including breaks covering 8 kilometers. The total ascent and decent are 750 meters and 830 meters respectively. The route physical index is 23.

#704 bus back to Luzhou station

The trails of Mt. Guanyin-shan, either official or non-official, are very good. The official trails maintained by the local government are almost all paved with stones and provided with good signage. The non-official trails are mostly dirt ones but equipped with safety ropes at almost all difficult or dangerous sections. I assume that volunteer hikers maintain such ropes. If you visit on a nice and clear day like us, you can enjoy the nice vistas from the Yinghanling summit.  You could try such non-official trails of Guanyin-shan like this hike for more fun.