※Can be entered/exited from both ends
※GPX files must be opened with suitable apps, such as Hikingbook.
Mingfeng Ancient Trail is located in Xindian Village, Shitan Township and Mingfeng Village, Touwu Township of Miaoli. The trail is well planned and easy. It is one of the top 100 ancient trails in Taiwan. There is rich nature and wildlife along the trail. It is also a popular tung flower viewing route in spring as well as an ecological education trail perfect for a family outing.
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- The view in front of Yundong Temple is excellent. You can overlook the surrounding mountains, Miaoli City, and Houlong Township.
- There are 7 representative scenic spots ("the 7-UP's") and relevant road signs along Mingfeng Ancient Trail. You can follow the signs on the way to keep track of your hiking progress.
- There are wood-oil trees in the sections of the ancient trail that receive the most light. You can enjoy the scenery of tung flowers from March to May every year.
- Booking：Tel：+886-925-882508
- Fee：A half-day tour takes about 2-3 hours. The fee would be 2,500-3,000 NTD. A full-day tour takes about 4-5 hours. The fee would be 4,000-4,500 NTD.
- Limitations of guided tours: The number of people allowed in a tour is limited to the capacity of a tour bus. The optimal number is 15 people.
- There are toilets at the entrances of the ancient trail, Yundong Temple and Yimin Temple.
- If the weather is bad or there has been rainfall the previous day, the trail will become slippery. Please carefully evaluate the situation before hiking.
- Environmental protection is a shared responsibility. Do not litter on the ancient trail.
Mingfeng Ancient Trail is well connected to many routes such as Aiyong Ancient Trail, Yanping Ancient Trail, the Green Ancient Trail, and Xieai Ancient Trail. The indigenous people and Han people used to have violent conflicts here. Today, traces of conflicts are long gone. What remains is only the original appearance of the mountain and forest.
Mingfeng Ancient Trail was once a hunting trail for the Saisiyat people. Later, Han people including Huang Nanqiu reclaimed the area and the Saisiyat people had to move deeper into the mountains. Mingfeng Ancient Trail became an important route for ancestors to travel between Shitan and Touwu.
Mingfeng Ancient Trail and South Korea's Olle Trail No. 15 officially formed a friendship in 2019. It is the first internationally connected trail in Taiwan. The commemorative plaque is located next to the east entrance of Xinfeng Bridge.
When strolling along Mingfeng Ancient Trail, you will find seven representative scenic spots. These spots were set up and named by the trail restoration volunteers. Except for the Volunteer's Shop, all scenic spots are located along the trail. There are signs next to the scenic spots, allowing visitors to keep track of their hiking progress.
Lover's Valley is located at the junction of Mingfeng Ancient Trail and Yanping Ancient Trail. In the early days, to prevent different ethnic groups from entering each other's living area, barriers were placed in Lover's Valley. The volunteers later renamed the place Lover's Valley based on the image of two streams merging here.
Zhuanghua Pavilion is in the uphill section of the trail. As the building is relatively old and there is a risk of collapse, it is not recommended to stay at the pavilion for too long.
Wangyou Platform is a roadside deck. In 1946, some residents saw a stone slab nearby that can be used as a seat and moved it here. There are a few more rocks that can be used as seats for visitors to take a break.
Yiran Bend and Chunfeng Ridge are both turning sections on the ancient trail. When the weather is pleasant, you can feel the breeze gently blowing here and find yourself in a good mood! Fenglaiyi, also known as Guangong Pavilion, is at the highest point of Mingfeng Ancient Trail. You can take a break here during your hike.
The Volunteer's Shop is a hut built by volunteers who explored the ancient trail in the early days. Drinks and snacks were sold here. It is now closed, leaving only a simple red hut.
In the area between Yundong Temple and Guangong Pavilion, trees such as Taiwan incense-cedar and Formosan sweet gum are planted. In the area between Guangong Pavilion and Chunfeng Ridge, you can find wood-oil trees along the trail. From March to May every year, visitors are here to enjoy the blossoms and take pictures. The sections after Chunfeng Ridge and Yiran Bend are state-owned forests with complete forest forms and diverse plant species. There are also typical valley plants, such as Phoebe zhennan, bishop wood, and ferns.
Along the ancient trail, you can see many butterflies and hear the crisp bird chirpings. In the valley, the good environment and clear water nurture a wide variety of fish. In early summer, there are also amphibians and fireflies.
※ Mingfeng Ancient Trail can be entered/exited from both ends so this route can be followed in the opposite direction. Note that going from Yimin Temple to Yundong Temple will make it a mostly uphill hike, so the duration would be longer, taking about 1 hour and 50 minutes.
The west entrance of Mingfeng Ancient Trail is located behind Yundong Temple. The original site nearby was a private school. In 1885, Mr. Huang Shuisheng, who taught in the private school, received instructions from the gods to build an Enzhugong (i.e., Guangong; Lord Guan) Temple here. Local believers then built the temple to worship Lord Guan. During the Japanese Rule period, Tu Baocai and others proposed to rebuild it, but the proposal was rejected by the Japanese. Later, the rebuild request was approved when the temple became dedicated to Zheng Chenggong instead. This is why Yundong Temple is also called Temple of Zheng Chenggong.
Yundong Temple is located at a high place. There is a wide viewing platform in front of the temple where you can observe the surrounding mountains, Houlong Township, and Miaoli City. On a clear day, you can gaze at the horizon and Taiwan Strait.
At the east entrance of Mingfeng Ancient Trail, there is a suspension bridge across Xindian River called Xinfeng Bridge. There are two art installations on the west side of Xinfeng Bridge, namely "Sublimation of Camphor" and "Camphor Molecules Around the World in the 19th Century." They are artworks from the Romantic Route 3 art festival. There is a blue hut next to the east end of the bridge. You can book and participate in environmental education workshops here.
It takes two minutes to walk from Xinfeng Bridge to Shitan Riverside Park. To commemorate Mr. Huang Nanqiu, the pioneer of Shitan, a statue of him was placed here. The giant Chinese temple block in the park is also an art installation from the Romantic Route 3 art festival. The work was inspired by Huang Nanqiu's subordinate, Luo Cheng, who became a monk in his later years to reflect on the killing he has done in the past. The Chinese temple block is a symbol of the pursuit of peace of mind.
Shitan Old Street is also known as Xindian Old Street. In the old street, there are well-known delicacies such as savory rice pudding and mesona grass jelly, as well as many local, traditional shops. Among them, Shennong Shop is set up by Shitan Farmers Association, selling mesona tea, coffee, and local agricultural and fish products. There is also a "secret path" in the old street that used to be a shortcut leading to laundry spot by the creek. Now, cartoon characters painted on the wall bring visitors here for social media photos. There is also Shitan Village History Museum nearby that is a renovated old Hakka house. Old postcards, photos, books, and cultural relics about Shitan are preserved and on display here, showcasing the rich Hakka culture.
Shitan Presbyterian Church near the Old Street was established in 1873. It was one of the early churches established by Rev. George Leslie Mackay during his mission in Taiwan. The church was damaged by an earthquake in 1935 and was rebuilt later. Rev. Mackay performed dental surgery under a a century-old longan tree near the church. This scene is captured by the 3D-painted wall now.
There are two Bagong temples around Shitan Old Street, namely the Maple Bagong Temple and the Pigskin Bagong Temple. Originally, a small stone Bagong was worshipped here, but a century-old maple tree beside it earned it its name, Maple Bagong Temple. During the Japanese Rule period, there was a shortage of supplies. Pigskins were tanned here to produce leather for military boots, hence the name Pigskin Bagong Temple.