I’ve been here many moons, but I never checked out the hiking trail across from Bitan until last month. If you’re bored want something to do on a Sunday morning, this is a great little trail that is easy to get to. Below is a brief description and a few photos for anyone that may be interested. (I’m posting this as a new thread since there are 21 photos).
Bitan Walkbridge - Made during the Japanese Era
Looking south on the bridge. A jungle trail winds around the edge of the lake. At night time you can see a few lights on this trail, but it is really not well lit and I advise against a night walk. (you have to be careful of snakes)
At the very end of the Bitan walk bridge, on the left side, notice a green sign and a dark upward heading walkway. This is where you will finish. (You can start here to, but the way described below may be better. This is what I call the jungle trail). The red sign takes you to a tea house.
After crossing the bridge, keep veering to the left. You will see a big sign for a temple. Sorry, no picture, but you can’t miss it. Head up the inclined road that is on the extreme left towards the temple. You will see the stone stairway for the temple on the left. Just keep walking up the main road. After a few hundred feet, you will come to a concrete barrier blocking off a fork in the road. This is the beginning of the trail. Walk up the road behind the barrier. 30 years ago or so, this must have been an entrance to an amusement park.
Eventually you will see a a road that splits off to the left. You can take this road if you want or keep
walking up the main road. They end up in the same place. If you take the side road you will come to a large, overgrown parking lot.
Walk all the way across it, then down some stairs until you get to a broken down concrete snackbar with a bunch of junky old fiberglass amusement carts piled up in front of it. You can see a faded snow white painted on the building.
If you did not take the fork, you will walk past a terranced type retaining wall on the left and end up
at the same snack bar.
Once you find the snackbar, notice on the extreme right a path heading upwards. You can’t really miss it. This is the trail to the lookout point. Just keep walking up. Some railroad track stairs are built-in.
The Lookout Point
Looking up from the lookout point there is a higher platform.
Trail sign on the platform
Measurement
View towards Hsintien
View towards the road south to Wulai
If you want to take the jungle trail on the way back, head towards the old amusement park. At the
snackbar walk up the wide stairs you will see. Walk thru the area that has some round concrete ride
foundations. In the old parking lot section there is a big bayan tree. If you look behind it, you will
see the trailhead for the jungle trail. There are several trails, this is the one I chose. I think this
is one of the main trails because you can tell it has been maintained in the past. (stairs, benchs along the way, etc.)
The jungle trailhead
Hiking along the trail
View of the lake. The trail is about 20 feet about the lake edge. There is a trail to the diving boards
also from here, but I did’nt hike to them. Maybe next time.
This building you can see from the Xindian side. The trial goes behind it, then winds around to the front. (where this photo is taken).