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玉山群峰線

Southern

Hiking Trails

Zongzhiguan Trail (Tianchi)

Introduction
Status

Partially Open

The section from Meishankou to Siangyang on Provincial Highway 20 Temporary Access Road 105 is closed to traffic on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meaning that access to the trail is not possible on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Trail distance The elevation difference is about 350 meters, and the total distance is 3.5 kilometers.

Please note that only trucks under 5 tons and passenger vehicles with less than 9 seats, large heavy machinery and locomotives are allowed to enter and exit on the same day on Provincial Highway 20 Temporary Access Road 105. Please take note of access times.
For road and traffic conditions, please call 07-6881054, Baolai Traffic Control Office and 089-811024, Guanshan Public Works Section; for trail status, please call 07-6866181, Meishan Visitor Center.

 

“Zongzhiguan Trail” is the most intact section of Guan Mountain Hiking Route, with a total distance of 3.5 kilometers. The Administrative Office of Yushan National Park completed the renovation in 1997 and opened it to the public.
 
The trailhead is located at Southern Cross-Island Highway 105 temporary road 20.3K, with an elevation of 1,930 meters. It gradually ascends along the halfway up the mountain to the ridge above Tianchi, at 105 temporary road 25.1K, with an elevation of 2,280 meters, and the trip takes about 1.5 hours by foot.
 
Most tourists get off at Tianchi and walk downhill for an easier trip. Some may walk up steps toward Chang-Ching Shrine to honor the pioneers who opened the roads. The horizontal plaque in the shrine says "靈氣長存 (Eternal Spirits).” The shrine was built by the Directorate General of Highways to honor the 116 pioneers who died in road-opening accidents over the years, so the future generations can understand the hardships of constructing roads in the early days.
 
 The deck in front of the shrine has a vigorous and straight pine tree overlooking the peaks of the Yushan mountains. The view on the deck is splendid. We may wonder if we would have this opportunity to have a magnificent view without the sacrifice made by those pioneers.
After viewing the surrounding mountains on the deck in front of the shrine, visitors can walk on the plank roads to the observatory deck on the ridge which offers more grand views to experience the atmosphere surrounded by mountains, forests, and creeks. Visitors can descend the slope to check out the “Tianchi” pond and pass through the afforestation area to reach the Tianchi entrance on Zongzhiguan Trail.


The trail has a rich ecosystem. There are gigantic Chamaecyparis formosensis, complete vegetation coverage, diverse species of birds, and many historical and cultural heritage, such as a charcoal kiln, curbs on the trail, and embankment built by traditional methods, that have rich historical value.


There is also a former site of Zongzhiguan Police Station during the Japanese colonial period worth exploring. The old site is on a steep slope platform, overlooking the convergence of Lakuyin Creek and Laonong River. During the Japanese colonial period, the station had the advantage of observing the activities of Bunun tribal people at Yu Sui. It was an important post on the west section of the Guanshan hiking trail for the police force back in the day. The platform ruins, still visible in the tall grass bushes, vaguely show the scale of the post back then. The area has long benches and information booths now, telling the heroic story of Lahu Ali, from the Bunun tribe, fighting Japanese back in the day.


After passing by the station ruins, it is a laurel forest full of trees, chirping birds, mountain air, and light fog. After a few bends on the trail, it does not take long to reach the trailhead on Southern Cross-Island Highway. 
 

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