An Amazing Day Hiking in Ping Xi and Exploring Shi Fen Old Street

Taipei City is an ideal destination if you’re a foodie or a shopaholic. However, if you’re looking to get close to nature and are a little more adventurous, the town of Ping Xi is located about 45 minutes’ drive away. Ping Xi is the place for you if you love hiking and taking in the lush greenery Taiwan has to offer. Not far from Ping Xi lies the world-famous Shi Fen Old Street, where you get to learn about the history and culture of coal mining, as well as, make wishes by releasing beautiful sky lanterns into the sky. I’ve always travelled to Taipei, but have never ventured beyond the city so I’m sharing my virgin experience with you here.

PING XI DISTRICT

Locally named as Ping Xi Crag, there are three peaks to ascend for scenic views of the area. To get to the trailhead, you can either drive or take a train from Taipei to Ruifang Station before switching to Ping Xi Rail Line and alighting at Ping Xi Station. You can also take the Taipei MRT to Muzha Zoo Station and bus directly to Ping Xi. From Ping Xi Station, you’ll walk through a small village and across a bridge to the other side of the river. That’s when you’ll find signs for the trailheads but note that these signs state, “Xiao-Zi Shan” instead of Ping Xi Crag.

Upon reaching the first part of the trailhead, you have to walk up quite a steep paved road to arrive at the beginning of the hiking path. Look out for the map guiding you on the different hiking routes, as well as, providing you with information on the hiking time. Unfortunately, we joined a day tour so we only had time to hike up one peak and we chose Xiao-Zi Mountain (孝子山).

This mountain rises out of the valley and isn’t very big. However, it’s not for the faint-hearted, especially if you’ve got a height phobia. You have to navigate yourself up a steep set of stairs with a rope and do a little bit of climbing around the side of the mountain before you reach the “scary-looking” staircase. The stairs are easy to climb but they shake a little, especially when strong wind blows. It’s better to just look upwards while ascending this peak.

To be honest, my legs turned jelly and my palms were so sweaty when I tried taking a few steps up. I had many thoughts running through my head – “What if I slip and fall?! If I get up, how am I going to come down, without looking below?!” Eventually, I chickened out but my friend braved on and she told me that she was greeted by a few Buddha statues upon reaching the top. She also boasted about the 360 degrees panoramic view of the forest and village below.

Note that the peak of Xiao-Zi Mountain can only sustain 10 people at a time as it is very narrow so it’s better to avoid hiking over the weekend. Perhaps, in future, if I’m travelling with the right group of friends who will encourage me and help me up, I might just ascend the peak of Xiao-Zi Mountain! Plus, I’ve yet to explore the other two peaks of Ci-Mu Mountain (慈母山) and Pu-Tuo Mountain (普陀山) so I’ll be sure to return to Ping Xi.

Here’s some advice
Wear sportswear and weather-appropriate clothes with comfortable, good quality shoes, or waterproof hiking boots as the ground can get quite muddy and slippery. Apply sunscreen and bring more along to re-apply later on. Bring a cap/hat and sunglasses. Make sure you have sufficient food and water in your backpack. Although the weather is cooling during winter and early spring, there might be rainfalls so remember to check the weather forecast before planning your hiking trip.

SHI FEN OLD STREET

Shi Fen Old Street, which is approximately 10 minutes’ drive away from Ping Xi District, is well-known for its Shi Fen Waterfall. It features a 20 meters tall waterfall that creates a rainbow effect as it splashes into the lake. We were very unlucky as this waterfall was closed and under maintenance on the day we visited. Well, this gave us more time to wander around the old train tracks that were originally built for transporting coal. We also checked out shops built during the 1930s and 1940s, and the wooden houses built during the Japanese occupation era. There’s also a marketplace surrounding Shi Fen train station, with shops selling local food and gifts.

After our morning hike and a cultural trip around Shi Fen Old Street about the history of coal mining in Taiwan, we worked up a huge appetite. I was ecstatic to try the traditional food that coal miners had in the past. One bowl of rice contained a huge chicken or pork chop, accompanied with fresh greens, a braised egg, bamboo shoots and black fungus. These ingredients gave the coal miners energy in the past and ensured that they will stay full for a longer period of time. It’s actually very delicious and I cleaned the entire bowl empty! There’s a good mix of textures, and I especially enjoyed the slight crunch from the bamboo shoots.

After devouring our meals, we set off to release sky lanterns. Shi Fen Old Street and the Ping Xi District is very popular with the gorgeous Lantern Festival and thousands of people flock here every year for the Lantern Festival. For 2017, it’ll be held on 11 February at the Shi Fen Sky Lantern Square, adjacent to Shi Fen Old Street if you’re interested! Releasing sky lanterns is a significant ritual in Taiwan as people, like me, first choose my desired colour of sky lantern before scribbling my wishes onto the sky lantern and finally, lighting it up and releasing it into the sky. Like others, I believe that my wishes and prayers would be carried to the sky, kind of like a courier service to heaven.

There is also another belief that sky lanterns symbolize good luck and prosperity hence, became a highly anticipated ritual during many Asian wedding ceremonies. Each sky lantern costs between TWD100 ($4.45SGD) to TWD200 ($8.90SGD), so what are you waiting for? Make a wish when you’re visiting Taiwan!

Here’s some advice
Be careful when releasing the sky lanterns as not all lanterns manage to successfully float upwards and away. You would’ve heard of disasters happening, especially when some sky lanterns catch fire and fall to the ground. Therefore, always be alert when you’re in the zone where many people release sky lanterns.

Have a day to spare when you’re in Taipei? You should definitely visit Ping Xi District and Shi Fen Old Street. Besides just shopping and feasting in Taipei City, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy a day taking in all the wonders of nature, as well as, immerse yourself in some historical and cultural backgrounds on Taiwan. You can check out my previous articles on Taiwan as well – one on the activities you can do along XinDian MRT Line and the other, a tantalizing food guide of Taipei City. Have a great weekend!