The historic mining town of Jiufen in New Taipei is a major tourist destination, but not many tourists likely know that several historic trails link Jiufen with neighboring towns such as Ruifang, Houtong, and Mudan.
The Liulanglu Trail connects Reifang and Jiufen. The 1.6-kilometer trail was originally part of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails, a historic trail network connecting Taipei and Yilan County dating back about 200 years to the Qing Dynasty.
The trail was transformed into a rail trolley route for transporting materials between Ruifang and Jiufen in 1931 during the mining era. After highways adjacent to the trolley route were built, the route became deserted and was later rebuilt into Liulanglu Trail.
The trail consists mainly of paved stairs and is flanked by thick trees. The trail goes through two antiquated tunnels, which makes the hike more interesting.
The trailheads are located at Songde Park (Yan Yunnian Memorial Park) on the Jiufen side and near the Liulongjiao (流籠腳) bus stop on Taipei County Route 102 on the Rueifang side. The trail provides the opportunity for a nice hike to and from Jiufen's old streets.
Songde Park is also the trailhead of Xiaocukeng Historical Trail, which connects Jiufen and Houtong.
Source：Taiwan News
