Junjianyan Hiking Trail (Datun Mountains)

It is a well-known ridge of the Datun Mountains. A large rock juts out from the ridge among the layers of hills and at first glance looks like a ship at sea, which gave it the name Junjianyan (Warship Rock). In the Japanese colonial period it was grouped with Qili'anshan, Danfengshan and Wujianlianshan as the Wujianlian Peaks. The rock face at the top is a good place to practise rock climbing, and the route is a popular hike. Along the trail there are old trees and natural scenery, and the top has open views. The research academy 中研院 has set up a crustal movement reference point on the summit for recording and research. Looking right from the top you see the ridgeline and landscape from Shilin to Beitou; looking left and down you see the quiet modern community of 威靈頓山莊. Danfengshan is 210 metres high, with fairly flat terrain and a quiet setting, and its natural environment is similar to Junjianyan's. The sandstone terrain means the soil layer is thin and holds little water, so the area is dry and the risk of fire is higher. Wujianlianshan is 282 metres high. In the Japanese colonial period it was linked with Qili'anshan, Danfengshan and Junjianyan as the Wujianlian Peaks. Its summit has a wooden signpost and a city survey stone, No. 2363, with views of Junjianyan, Qili'anshan, Beitou and Shilin. From Wujianlianshan a path leads to Huangxishan, and going down to Quanyuan Road brings you to the Fenghuanggu Recreation Area. The trail up Junjianyan is short and easy to climb, and has long been a popular weekend outing. On the nearby Danfeng Rock, the red characters 丹鳳 (Danfeng) carved into the rock face are clearly visible from Beitou. Along the trail, laid stone steps sit alongside the native sandstone, with hard, rough blocks of rock on both sides. A newly built landscaped pavilion on the way is especially spacious, perhaps to match the rocks around it. From here, the 威靈頓山莊 community on the slope ahead to the left, with its white walls and red tiles, stands out against the crowded town of Beitou at the foot of the hill. Beyond the pavilion the steps continue up and the view opens out. Looking back, you can see the wetlands of the Guandu Plain and the Keelung River winding into the Tamsui River. At Junjianyan itself, Huagang on Yangmingshan and the university 文化大學 on the hillside form the backdrop. The top has a 360-degree view over the Taipei Basin and the surrounding mountains: Shilin, Beitou, Shipai and Tianmu close by, and further away the Guandu Plain, Guanyinshan, the Datun peaks, Shamaoshan and Wuzhishan. Strong wind blows across the top in waves. Near the top is a large area of smooth, white rock surface, like a clean coastline. Seen close up, Junjianyan resembles the weathered sandstone of the northeast coast, because this area was once by the sea; the white sandstone found everywhere here is the evidence. The rock of Junjianyan belongs to the Mushan Formation, deposited more than 20 million years ago. Long washing and deposition by the sea turned it into white sand, which over time and through cementation formed thick layers of hard sandstone, later raised by mountain-building movements. Junjianyan is under 200 metres high, yet ferns, the indicator plants of low altitudes, are everywhere, and some plants that normally grow at middle and high altitudes also grow here. This is because the area sits at the entry point of the northeast monsoon: wind pressure on the ridgeline keeps temperatures lower and pushes the plant zones well down. On the ridgeline there are also plants common by the sea, such as 桃金孃 and 車桑子. Danfengshan is not as steep as Junjianyan, but its natural environment is similar. Plants common on Junjianyan, such as 芒箕, 車桑子 and 細葉饅頭果, grow here too, over a wider area. Perhaps because of a past hill fire, most of the trail is roped off on both sides, with signs marking a no-entry conservation area. Pine trees, which contain resin and catch fire easily, raise the fire risk further. 琉球松 is the dominant species on Danfengshan, standing alone or in small groups on the open ridges and slopes, and you can sometimes smell pine along the gentle trail. Towards the end of the trail, three pavilions stand close together, some right in the middle of the path, in different styles, such as a flat-topped mushroom shape and a traditional garden style.

Translated and shortened by DealTaipei from Taiwan's national tourism database. Sources are on the terms page.