Hiking Dream Lake and Xin Mountain

On this trail, we learned two things: Don’t listen when someone over fifty says something is dangerous, and knife-edged ridges make for great photo opportunities. This beautiful little hike is an easy trip from Taipei. It’s, also, quite different from other trails as it isn’t made of nice, neat steps that kill the tread on your hiking shoes. You’ll actually get a little dirty and have some fun. At various points along the way, you even get to play with ropes. These are quite handy when you’re climbing down the rocks backward. Along with being a fun hike, the ridges provide a great chance for some additional off the trail climbing and sliding. Also, the view is amazing. Yes, there are some power lines in the way, but on a clear day you can see Taipei 101 from the ridge.

As the name suggests, there is a lake, but it is not the highlight of this trip. In fact, people who visit just for the lake will be sorely disappointed. Surrounded by trees, it makes for a very scenic spot for a post-hike picnic. However, it’s very small and really not at all impressive, except for its color, which is a beautiful aquamarine blue. The main attraction of this trip is actually the Xin Mountain hiking trail and its many ridges. There are quite a few along the trail. As soon as you think you’ve seen the last one, another one will crop up. At one point, the trail even goes over the edge of a ridge and it looks like the hikers before you just fell off the mountain.

The Xin Mountain trail is a loop that starts and ends at Dream Lake. You’ll see the path for it as you approach the lake. In size, it’s about 3 km and will take roughly two to three hours to complete, depending on how often you stop for pictures or wander off the trial. There are some bathrooms and a café next to the lake, which are definitely open on the weekends. I can’t promise whether or not they’re open during the week and it doesn’t really matter, as its way better to pack some sandwiches and picnic on the ridge anyway.



In addition to food, it’s also important to pack sun protection. A hat, jacket, sunscreen or combination of the three will help keep the sun from subtracting a few years off your life. The bald ridges leave people completely exposed and you really need something to keep from turning into a piece of bacon. This should go without saying, but a smart person would wear good shoes and long pants as well. I’m not always smart, but you should be.

Getting Around

To get to the lake and the trail head, take a local train from Taipei Main Station to Xizhi Station. The trains are frequent and you can use an easy card to hop on and off as you please. There is absolutely no need to worry about getting tickets in advance. From Xizhi Station, grab a taxi to the lake. Split between two to four people, this should be fairly cheap. There is a free bus, but it stops about an hour’s walk away from the lake. From experience, I can tell you that it’s a pleasant, straight-forward walk, especially with good company, but I don’t recommend it. The bus only runs once an hour and has an unpredictable schedule.

However, if you’re feeling extra adventurous and want to give it a try, it’s bus 910. You catch it right outside of Xizhi Station. Get off at the stop for Menghu Park and start walking. Menghu translates to Meng Lake. (Just like Xinshan means Xin Mountain.) This is what you want. Just keep following the signs up the road. You basically stay on the same road the whole time. There’s no turn and do not be tempted by the gold lions; that is not the trial.

Women’s Rights in Taiwan: Moving Forward

Taiwan is a great place to be a girl. The country’s policies and politics allow women to feel empowered and respected. Rape and other crimes against women are unheard of. (Unfortunately, this could be because the victims are too traumatized to come forward). When it comes to women’s rights, Taiwan is in the lead against other Asian countries and many Western ones as well. This might be due to the fact that Taiwan has more female legislators than any other country (except for ones in Scandinavia). Undoubtedly, this helps laws regarding gender biased issues (including maternity leave, marriage rights and business practices) to be passed with more empathy and understanding for the average female citizen.

Since the very beginning, Taiwan has been set up to give women a voice in politics. In fact, the country’s constitution states that half of all available legislative seats must be filled by women. As of today, Taiwan and Scandinavia are the only two countries with this sort of system in place, which is a shame. Just think of all legislative headaches that could have been avoided in the United States if a similar system was in place. Remember the tampon tax? That crap would have never happened. Anyway, the point is that females in Taiwan feel fairly represented in their government. As a result, Taiwan’s Gender Equality Act and maternity leave policies are equal to, and in many circumstances better than, those in found in Western countries.

Taiwan’s maternity leave policy is especially spectacular. New mothers and fathers are offered eight weeks of leave at FULL pay. If the parent has been employed in their position for less than six months, they are still entitled to the time off as well as half pay. This is fantastic. Yeah, the Unites States offers new mothers (not fathers) 12 weeks off for a new baby, but it’s unpaid. As a result, hardly any new mom actually uses all of that time. Instead, they are trying to get back to work as quickly as possible. New babies are expensive.

Of course, Taiwan’s awesome maternity leave legislation may also come from generations of tradition and superstition. In Taiwan, as well as in other Asian countries, it is believed that a new mother and her child should be separated from the world to enjoy a month of pampered solitude and seclusion. Such beliefs make it difficult for managers to rush their female employees back into the office. Of course, this tradition was originally started to protect birth mothers and newborns from malevolent spirits that would take advantage of their weakened condition. However, the tradition has persisted and now protects them from overzealous employers.

In modern Asia, the four weeks of seclusion has become an optional affair. Some women do decide to go spend four weeks in seclusion at a post-partum clinic, but these services do not come cheap. The clinics, also, hold both mother and baby to a strict set of rules. First of all, they are allowed to go outside and the list goes on from there. Some of the other rules include not being allowed to eat raw fruit, drink cold liquids, shower (only sponge baths are allowed) or stand in a drafty room. In lieu of the prices and strict guidelines, many new Asian moms are opting to stay at home for a month instead. Can’t say I blame them. I wouldn’t want to go four weeks without brushing my teeth either. Besides, you’d basically be paying someone to stand around and not let you do things.

In addition to fabulous maternity leave policies, females in Taiwan get to enjoy menstrual or period leave. National law states that female employees are allowed three days of additional sick leave for menstruation. The pain is real guys. Of course, many girls just take Advil and suck it up, so that they can save the extra sick days for something really important like Mondays. Some private companies even allow female employees one Period Day per month at half pay. This must do wonders for office moral. Think of all the avoided cat fights and melodrama.



Conscientiousness toward the fairer sex isn’t just found in the office and politics, but in everyday life as well. In Taipei, you can tell that the city has been planned with female citizens in mind. This is especially true in the public transportation sector. Of course, Taiwan’s public transportation is better than any other country’s anyway, but the details in place for female safety are a huge bonus. Every public transport platform in the city is designed with monitored safety waiting zones. This way female passengers and commuters traveling alone know that there’s a safe place for them at every train and MRT station. This concept is fabulous and I have no idea why I had to travel all the way around the world to find it. All in all, Taiwan feels much safer than the average Western country.

Women’s rights still have a long way to go. Even in Taiwan, there is still harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Especially over pregnancy, many women are not promoted to managerial positions for this reason. If a female employee does become pregnant, she will often be relocated to a different position at lower pay or asked to resign. Also, many sexual assault and harassment victims fail to come forward over fear of social repercussions and discrimination.

The workplace is not only where sexual discrimination still exists; Taiwan still has plenty of backward marital expectation and laws. If a foreign female marries into a Taiwanese family and has children, according to Taiwanese law, if the husband dies, the children go to his parents, not with their foreign mom. Also, there’s still that whole issue of women being expected to take care of both their husband and his parents after marriage with no thought given to the bride or her family. Luckily, these expectations are slowly changing with the current generation of women who will be raising their own daughters with more realistic ideas on what makes a good husband and marriage.

Hiking Seven Star Mountain: Mt. Qixing Multi-Peak Trail

This is one of the most scenic and easily accessible hikes in Taipei City. That’s right. There’s a national park in Taipei City. The zoning out here will never cease to amaze me. Anyway, the national park is called Yangmingshan. Chiang Kai-shek named it after one of his favorite philosophers. That’s at least one reason to become president; you get to name mountains. (Can you imagine Trump’s national park? The entrance fee would be $100 USD and the main attraction a coal mine.) I digress, the highest summit in Yangmingshan is Qixing, which is also known as Seven Star Mountain or Cising Mountain. I’m not sure how it ended up with three names, but there you go. To save my sanity and yours, for the rest of this post, I will refer to the mountain as Mt. Qixing.

This hike will take you to the top of Mt. Qixing, which is a modestly sized mountain resting at 1120 meters above sea level. Not to worry though, the national park’s bus system lets you cheat. Essentially, there are three ways up the mountain. This blog outlines the easiest and possibly most scenic path to the top. If this is your first visit to Yangmingshan, this is the trial for you. You’ll see volcanic steam vents, yellow sulfur crystals, plenty of silver grass and beautiful rolling mountain vistas. Originally from the states, I still can’t get over hiking on an active volcanic system that has lava moving around and creating chemical reactions underneath my feet. Dragons make perfect sense.

Start your hike with the Xiaoyoukeng Trail. This one-hour hike up hill will take you straight to the summit. It’s easy, clearly marked and without a doubt the best way to get to the top. Roughly translated, Xiaoyoukeng means “oil pit.” You’ll see and smell why as soon as you get off the bus. There’s a large sulfur vent right next to the trail. Hope you like eggs. After an hour of smelling them, I wanted to gag. However, it is the largest volcanic vent I have ever seen to date and a really cool experience. As you hike to the top, be on the lookout for more volcanic characteristics, such as fumaroles and sulfur crystals. This is where they will be.

Once you reach the summit, the hard part is over and you can take a rest. There are plenty of boulders lying around to picnic on and you can entertain yourself by watching the Taiwanese queuing championships. Let me explain: At the summit, there’s a big pole stuck in the ground and everyone wants to take a selfie with it. Next thing you know, you’re on top of a mountain, in the middle of a national park and watching people line up in such an orderly fashion that any theme park attendant would be proud. This phenomenon is completely new to me. Needless to say, I did not wait in that line, but snuck a picture of the post while it was between groups.

From the summit, you’ll be able to see Taipei city proper. At which point, it becomes apparent that if this thing you are standing on ever blows, lots of people will be forced to question their life choices. You’ll, also, be able to see Qixing East Peak. That’s your next stop. Surprise! This is a multi-peak, two-for-the-price-of-one hike. Seriously though, it’s not far. At a moderate pace, you can reach the second summit in about fifteen minutes from the main peak. Once you reach the east peak, take a minute to enjoy the view and then follow signs for Lengshuikeng. This is the trail that will take you down the mountain.

In English, Lengshuikeng translates to “cold water pit,” which makes absolutely no sense. If you had any doubt in the Taiwanese sense of humor, this should put it to rest. Seriously though, Lengshuikeng trail starts at Qixing East Peak, winds its way casually down the mountain through Qixing Park and then terminates at Lengshuikeng Visitor Center, which is located right next to… wait for it… a HOT SPRING. What else would you find in the middle of a volcanic park?

Take your time going down; there is a lot to see in Qixing Park. For the record, there is actually a park, so feel free to bring Frisbee and casually throw it around or at the back of your friends’ heads when they are not looking. There is also a large pagoda in the middle of the trail that makes for a great place to stop and have a snack or a nap or both. You’ll need to catch your breath after running away from your friends who are currently stalking you with a Frisbee and murderous intent.

That’s it! Once you reach Lengshuikeng Visitor Center, the hike is over. Feel free to stay and check out the hot spring. This is a fairly short hike and you’ll have plenty of time. From start to finish, the trail is 4.5 kilometers and takes three to four hours to complete. Be careful. There are no public restrooms on the trail and you’ll have to hold it until you reach the visitor center. This isn’t a huge problem as you’ll be sweating most of your water out anyway. Still, go easy on the liquids and pack toilet paper just in case. Also, pack plenty of food and sunscreen. Don’t be fooled and think that just because it’s January you won’t get burned. This is Taiwan!

One last thing, check the weather before you go. You need a mostly sunny day or better for this hike. Otherwise, good luck seeing all those beautiful vistas mentioned above. On a cloudy day, you’ll be lucky to see five feet in front of you. Yes, it really is that bad. Clouds love Mt. Qixing. Even on a mostly sunny day, they will surround the peak, turning it into a completely different, misty world. You’ll suddenly find yourself in the “Upside Down” for a few minutes until the clouds pass and everything goes back to normal.

Getting Around

To reach the Xiaoyoukeng trail head, take the R5 bus from Jiantin Station to Yangmingshan bus stop and get off. The R5 runs every ten to fifteen minutes, so there’s no need to worry about timing or ticket reservations. You can, also, pay the bus fare with your Easy Card. At the Yangmingshan bus stop, queue up for the Yangmingshan National Park bus also known as the 108. This will take you to the trail head. Be careful. There are different 108 buses, so make sure you are on one that is headed to Xiaoyoukeng. Of course, disembark from the 108 at the Xiaoyoukeng Recreational Area. They don’t announce the stops in English, so you’ll have to be paying attention. Look out for the sign and for the massive steam vent or just wait until you smell eggs. To get home, catch the S15 bus from the Lengshuikeng Visitor Center. This will take you right back to Jiantin MRT station.

Popular Taiwanese Superstitions

Highly educated, full grown adults will tell you very seriously “ghosts exist and they will try to kill you.” Ghosts are definitely the biggest threat. There’s a whole month dedicated to them that comes with its own set of superstitions. Completely straight-faced, my manager told me not to go swimming during ghost month.

Anyway, in addition to ghosts, there are also superstitions surrounding child birth, different types of animals, numbers, hand gestures, gift giving, body art, etc. Most of these double as old proverbs told to teach children some common sense. For example, it’s not very smart to go swimming alone with or without ghosts. Additionally, many Taiwanese superstitions are also bound up with the belief of reincarnation.

A local friend explained that Taiwanese religion doubles as a set of superstitions that control when you die, what you’re reborn as and how many tricks ghosts can play on you along the way. For example, anyone with pierced ears cannot be reborn as a male. (Yes, this patriarchal nonsense still exists.)

Animals

Black animals with white paws are considered unlucky and used to be killed. Aware of this old superstition, many people go out of their way to adopt these animals and get them off the streets.

Numbers

Chinese culture places great importance on homonyms or words that sound the same. (You can probably guess where this is going.) In Chinese, the words four and death sound the same. For this reason, the number four is the Taiwanese equivalent to the western 13. Apartment buildings, hospitals, offices and schools will literally just skip fourth floors. Third floors just happen to have very high ceilings.

Red Ink

This is actually a great classroom management tool for teachers. If there’s a disruptive student, get out your red marker and start spelling out the miscreant’s name on the board letter by letter. It works wonders, especially with younger kids. Let me explain, red ink looks like blood. In Taiwanese culture, you only write names in blood if you intend harm upon that person or want them to die soon. Needless to say, my kindergarten class was not amused.

Gifts

Don’t gift people sharp objects, white flowers, watches or sets of four. When given as gifts, these items mean that you want the recipient to die sooner rather than later. Sharp objects should be self-explanatory. White flowers are reserved for funerals. Watches and clocks, as gifts, mean that the recipient’s time is literally running out. Sets of four remind people of death.

Body Art

I already told you about pierced ears. Compared to Western culture, not many Taiwanese women have them. The lack of earrings is one of the first things I noticed after moving here. Also, people with tattoos are gangsters; although, this is more of a stereotype than a superstition.

Hand Gestures

In the United States, it’s the middle finger. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s taboo hand signal is commonly used in the United States. It’s the one used to beckon people or get attention. You know: palm up with a repeatedly curling index finger. Well, in Taiwan, this is the hand signal for the number four, which of course means that you want the person you’re beckoning at to die soon. Whoops. In the beginning, I accidentally told numerous students to go kill themselves.

Pointing 

It’s rude to point directly at someone and supernatural deities especially don’t like it. If you point at the Moon, the associated supernatural will retaliate by taking off your ear.

Table Manners

You would never casually leave your fork sticking straight up out of a piece of steak. This behavior is generally frowned upon. It’s the same in Asia, but with chopsticks instead of forks. Never leave your chopsticks straight up in your food. Yes, it’s very tempting to stick them in a bowl of rice and leave them there, but don’t do it. Rest them on the table or lay them across your plate. Again, never leave them sticking up. It’s rude and basically translates to inviting death to the dinner table. Little children will look up at you with tears in their eyes, saying “Teacher, I don’t want to die.” Ok, maybe not with tears, but the rest of that sentence actually happened.

Ghosts

These are not Casper, these things mostly just want a chance to kill people, which is why offerings are set up during ghost month to appease them and keep them at bay. Taiwanese ghosts are murderous because their one goal is to move on and be reincarnated into their next life. In order to this, they need another ghost to take their place. In order to have that, they need to kill someone.

Swimming – Don’t go swimming alone and, during ghost month, don’t go swimming at all.

Whistling – Don’t whistle at night. The ghosts will follow you.

Laundry – Don’t hang clothes out to dry at night. Ghosts will steal them, wear them and use them to sneak past your doorman and into your house. Think twice the next time that sock goes missing, because a proper Taiwanese household doesn’t even have a dryer.

Pictures – Don’t take pictures at night or in front of mirrors. Apparently, ghosts like to photobomb.

Attention Disorders – ADD and ADHD don’t really exist in traditional Chinese culture. Instead, there are ghosts that disrupt and block a child’s learning ability.

Ghost Month – Don’t get married, start a business, have a baby or buy a house. Just hermit and wait for the ghosts to go away.

Ghost Brides – If you see a red envelope on the sidewalk, leave it there. Grief ridden parents are probably trying to trick someone into marrying their ghost daughter. If an adult woman dies before she can be married, her ghost will be trapped between worlds and unable to move on. (Can you tell this is a male dominated society?) To help her ghost find peace, her parents are within their legal rights to trick someone into marrying her ghost.

At Taiwanese weddings, money is given instead of actual gifts. More importantly the money is presented to newlyweds in red envelopes. For this reason, grieving parents may plant a red envelope on the ground, then hide and wait for a naive (and slightly greedy) person to pick it up. In recent years, parents have gotten craftier and have started ditching the envelopes in favor of just leaving money on the ground.

Ghost Weddings – There can also be a ghost groom. If two people are engaged and one dies before the wedding, a ghost ceremony will be held during ghost month. This allows the deceased’s soul to move on and allows the living party to find closure or develop attachment issues.

Day Trip: Longdong Bay Cape Trail, Bitou Cape Trail and Golden Waterfall

We’ve taken several day trips to the north coast and this one has the best views by far. You’ll see the steep cliffs of Longdong Bay Cape Trail, then follow up with the Snow Mountain Range along Bitou Cape Trail and end your day with a hidden waterfall under Jiufen.

Start your day with the Longdong Bay Cape Trail. It’s not a challenging hike, more like a casual stroll, but the views are spectacular. As the name suggests, the trail traverses Longdong Cape, leading up to a viewing platform so you can admire the turmoil below. This is Taiwan’s northern most point. Consequently, you’ve got wind coming in from the east and west, creating wild waves below and a soundtrack for the day.

Continue following the Longdong trail, eventually you will come to a paved road. Walk down this until you see a stairway leading down into some trees. Take these stairs; you should see some signs for Longdong village. Truth be told, it’s not much of a village, just a few buildings strung together along the road. Don’t expect much in the way of refreshment.



From Longdong village, walk toward the tunnel. I promise this will all make sense when you’re there. There is a tunnel, you can’t miss it and you can see it from the village. This tunnel is your next destination, because the Bitou trail head is located just on the other side of it. Yes, you do have to go through the tunnel to get to the trail. It sounds intense, but the walk isn’t bad. From Longdong village, the tunnel is probably less than 30 minutes away.

Between Longdong village and the tunnel, you’ll pass through Londong Bay Ocean Park. This is a great spot to eat some lunch and take a break. During the summer months, you can even go swimming in one of the park’s many ocean fed pools. You’ll have to bring your own towel though, the facilities look pretty sparse.



After you get to the tunnel and walk through, you will be right next to the Bitou trail head. It is literally right there. Despite being so close, the views are different from Longdong, but just as beautiful. Instead of sweeping cliffs, you’ll see Taiwan’s northern most mountain range pressed right up against the Pacific Ocean. The terrain is also different. With its inclines and declines, this is definitely the more thrilling trail. That said, it’s still easy and short. You’ll be able to do both trails in one day with no problem.

Early on, the Bitou trail passes by an elementary school. Don’t be confused, this is supposed to happen. I’d hate to have that walk every morning, but at least the students have a pretty cool view. There’s even a really pretty cemetery that you can check out. Other things to look out for include an old army fort, a miniature great wall and bathrooms. (The trail is littered with them.)



The trail is a loop and you’ll end up exactly where you started. From here, hop a bus or hail a cab to the Golden Waterfall. It’s not far and you will not be disappointed. While it isn’t one large falls, like Shifen, Golden Waterfall is beautiful and definitely unique (even if it does look more orange than gold).The waterfall is made up of several tiny falls all clumped together in one place and it’s not small. Honestly, we were expecting it to be a little lackluster and almost skipped it, but are glad we didn’t. They were one of the highlights of the day.

With its beautiful views and hidden waterfalls, this is an amazing trip. Be warned there’s a lot of walking and not much food along the way, so come prepared. There are plenty of great spots for a picnic. We even ran into a few people who had brought little stoves with them and were cooking. Actually, we also ran into someone who was hiking with a rabbit… on a leash… that happened. While I question the sanity of this, I must admit that is was a cute rabbit. It was so happy that it tried to hop right off the mountain while its owners weren’t looking.

Before I forget, you also need to bring sunscreen and toilet paper. Learn from our mistakes and wear sunscreen. I don’t care if it’s a cloudy day in November, you will BURN. Also, bathrooms aren’t a problem, just use them as you see them. There’s one at the beginning of Longdong trail, one at the ocean park and then several along the Bitou Cape Trail. There are even some porta potties set up at the Golden Waterfall. Apparently, the sound of running water really does have that effect on people. That’s it. Remember to bring your camera.

Getting Around

Take bus 1811 from Taipei Bus Station, located just outside of Taipei Main Station. There’s a bus at eight o’clock in the morning and then another one that leaves at nine. Show up a little early so that you can buy bus tickets at the counter and reserve a seat in advance. This will save you so much headache as most people don’t think to do it and then end up without a seat or having to wait for the next bus. Take the bus all the way to the Longdong Bay Cape Trail and from there get started on your day. It’s a comfortable ride that doesn’t break the bank. The one-way trip will cost you just over $100 NTD ($3 USD).

Stay on the bus until after you pass through Nanya village. Once you pass through the village, start counting tunnels. The bus will go through one tunnel and then a second tunnel. You want to get off directly after this second tunnel. In fact, hit the “let me off” button while the bus is going through the SECOND tunnel. From the bus stop, walk back up toward the temple. You’ll see it. This is where the Longdong Bay Cape Trail begins.

To get back to Taipei, I recommend just grabbing a taxi from Golden Waterfall. You might be able to find one that will bring you all the way home for $1,000 NTD ($30 USD). This price split between two to four people is excellent and well worth it. If you don’t want to splurge on a taxi, you can catch the Golden Fulong scenic bus up to Jiufen and from there cue up for the highway bus 1062 back to Taipei. I have friends who swear by this bus. It comes frequently and will get you home for around $100 NTD per person.