#012 – Xizhi Dajianshan (汐止大尖山)

Hiking in Taiwan is a remarkable experience and Taiwan’s Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳) is a great place to start. Taiwan’s Xiao Bai Yue is a perfect list of 100 suburban mountain peaks suitable for hikers of all skill levels.

The Xiao Bai Yue is 100 mountain climbs oriented towards sub-urban destinations and routes suitable for novice hikers. These include beginner routes like Dawulun Mountain, novice routes like Dongyanshan National Forest and some that are more challenging, like Jialishan.

Xizhi Dajian Mountain (or Xizhi Dajianshan) (大尖山) is listed at #012 of the Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳). Located in Xizhi District (汐止區) in New Taipei City (新北市), Dajianshan is located 40 minutes from Taipei Main Station, depending on traffic.

About Xizhi Dajianshan (汐止大尖山)

Xizhi Dajianshan is a fantastic hiking trail in Xizhi and every spring cherry blossoms and sweet-scented osmanthus (桂花) bloom one after another making it a pretty popular spot for hikers and flower fanatics alike. It commonly referred to by locals as being the back garden of Xizhi.

Hiking Xizhi Dajianshan (大尖山)

Hiking in Taiwan is a pretty enjoyable hobby to have if you’re capable. For those visiting or living in Taipei, being able to access hikes such as Dajianshan is a great privilege. Hiking Dajianshan from Tianxiu Temple (汐止天秀宮) is the most popular route and is the easiest to access by public transit (more on that below).

The trailhead starts just to the left of Tiaxiu Temple and is primarily stone steps all the way up. In fact, it is a total of 1,145 steps to the top of Dajianshan. You can enter the trail at the temple and begin hiking the stone staircase. It is actually a really pleasant walk in a forest as it is a very natural setting and most shaded the entire time. You’ll climb about 380 meters up the stone steps and arrive at a relatively flat ridge that quickly takes you to the peak. Don’t let that this seemingly endless step ladder dissuade you from conquering this Xiao Bai Yue.

It’s worth the climb as when you’ve made it to the peak at 460m, you can rest and enjoy amazing views of the surrounding area, including Neihu and Taipei 101. You can also see other famous mountains and Xiao Bai Yue hikes such as Keelung Mountain, Qixingshan, Datunshan, and Guanyinshan. You can continue on this trail towards other attractions along this trail network, including Xiufeng Waterfalls (秀峰瀑布) or onto Sifenwei Mountain (四分尾山).

What to Bring

When hiking in Taiwan consider your capabilities before heading out. We hope this helps provide insight into the level of difficulty. When it comes to the kinds of equipment or resources one should bring when hiking this trail in Taiwan, we’ve provided a list below:

• Water – About 1 to 2L of fresh drinking water
• Food/Lunch – There are no services along this trail, so get supplies before hand.
• Sunscreen – The trail is covered and shaded almost the entire time, but you may wish to spend time at the peak. Bring if you wish.
• Camera/Phone – Reception is good on most sections of this trail.

How to Get to Dajianshan (大尖山)

Driving to Dajianshan (大尖山)

If you are driving, you can set this as your location – HERE. The road is in excellent condition and isn’t narrow. Parking can be a bit problematic, but you should be able to find parking ont he road leading to Tianxiu Temple. Dajianshan is approximately 2.5 hours from Taipei.

Taking Public Transportation to Dajianshan (大尖山): There is actually very good public transportation to this hiking trail. Take a train from Taipei Main Station towards Su’ao, getting off at Xizhi Station (汐止車站). From here, walk about 1 minute to this bus stop to catch the F911 Bus to Tianxiu Temple. Then you have to walk back down to the Dajianshan Trailhead (another 2 minutes or so)