Danfengshan Hiking Trail

Located in the Beitou District of Taipei, Danfengshan (literally meaning “red phoenix mountain”) is said to have the shape of a phoenix when viewed from above, hence the name. With an altitude of 117 meters, the red phoenix mountain allows hikers to have a panoramic view of the whole district. The hiking trail is full of natural scenery that makes for great photos as well as some Japanese ruins of a monument and a shrine that delight the cultural history buffs.

The entrance to the trail can be found next to the tomb of General Chen Ji-tang, and the trail itself consists of stone-paved paths and concrete roads. Don’t pass though the Zhonghe Temple without visiting its sacred stupa. 700 meters later, you will then reach a giant stone with characters of “red phoenix” written on it, serving as a major landmark, and the lookout offers a panoramic view of downtown Beitou and the Taipei basin. Just a bit further from here, the historic monument and the Japanese shrine might look like they have seen better days but yet are still standing strong.