#028: Liweishan (李崠山)

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.

About Liweishan (李崠山)

Liweishan (李崠山) is listed at #028 of the Xiao Bai Yue (小百岳). Located in Jianshi Township (尖石鄉) in Hsinchu County (新竹縣), Liweishan is a short out-and-back hike that offers a chance to experience a unique cultural attraction.

Hiking Liweishan (李崠山)

The trailhead is located at the back of the Lidong Lodge (or sometimes referred to as villa). While the lodge is no longer in use, there are washrooms available here. At the entrance of the mountain, ring the “peace bell” three times before climbing the mountain. The trail starts off as a cement trail and after a short section it transitions into a proper forest mountain trail, all the way up.

Liweishan is also commonly referred to known as Lidongshan. It might be because that is the name of the villa at the entrance of the trail, but regardless, people refer to it as either. There is nothing over difficult about this hike with a somewhat steep incline for the first 500m and then it levels out and is slow and steady for the rest of the way. You’ll find a few trail intersections, but if you stay on the main trail its a simple out-and-back hike.

On a clear day, there are some sections that offer some decent views along the way. But that’s not the main attraction of the peak.

As you approach the highest point, you’ll find a The Li Weishan Castle. It was originally built by the Japanese in 1910 and was called the Li Weiaiyong Supervision Office at that time. It functions were to allow for improved command (control?) of the local populations and for defensive purposes. Since this time, it has been abandoned and now only a dilapidated structure remains. Definitely worth the effort to get here.

This trail is family-friendly and certainly suitable for parents and children (with some hiking experience) to visit and hike.

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 .5-1 L of fresh drinking water
• Food – There are no services along this trail. Bring water, lunch, or snacks to keep energy levels up. There are some nice cafes and restaurants on Neiwan Old Street (內灣老街), which is about 30km from the trail.
• Washrooms – Available at Lidong Lodge 李棟山莊
• Sunscreen – Almost the entire trail shaded, with about 10% unshaded.
• Camera/Phone – Reception is not available along portions of this trail.

How to Get to Liweishan (李崠山)

Driving to Liweishan (李崠山): If you are driving, you can set this as your location –HERE. The drive to Liweishan is just over two hours from Taipei and about an hour and a half from Hsinchu. The road is in moderate shape most of the way, but curvy and rather narrow and the surface quality has degraded in places.

Taking public transportation to Liweishan (李崠山): The nearest public transit (bus) stop is nearly 20km away at Frog Rock Footpath (青蛙石天空步道).