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AS a mountainous region, Taiwan is known to have at least 268 mountains, some of which reach a height of more than 3,000-meters and become world tourist destinations, one of which is Mount Yushan or better known as Jade Mountain.
Mount Yushan is the highest mountain in Taiwan and East Asia with an altitude of 3,952 meters, therefore, climbing the main peak of Mount Yushan has become one of the life achievements that most Taiwanese want to do.
To reach the summit of Yushan, climbers are advised to take the Tatajia Saddle Mountain trail, a trail that has the most complete trail information. The hiking trail is about 22-kilometers round-trip and usually takes two days and one night of moderate difficulty.
Most of the trail is flat, except for the mountainous trails at a few hundred meters before reaching the main peak which is rather steep and requires the help of both hands to climb it.
Apart from Jade Mountain, two other mountain tourist destinations are Jiaming Lake and Zhulu Old Trail in Hualien. Jiaming Lake or better known as ‘Tears of Angels’ is located at an altitude of 3,310 meters above sea level.
The round trip distance along the Jiaming Lake trail is about 26-kilometers with medium to high difficulty. Along the path there are views of the Central Mountain Range with views of various vegetation that will change with the seasons.
It is recommended that tourists stay for two to three days to enjoy the silence of the mountains and the bright sky full of stars. Compared to the previous two mountains, the Zhuilu Old Trail only has a height of about 700 to 800 meters above sea level.
However, this path is unique because it is built along the edge of a marble mountain cliff, right on the edge of a cliff about 500 meters deep. The journey along the Zhuilu Old Trail can be thrilling as hikers have to follow a path that only one person can traverse with the help of ropes attached to the mountain walls. The average climber will take about 6 to 8 hours to cover the 10-kilometer trail. [sources/photo special]
