Thread by @Taiwan_trails

Tamsui-Kavalan Trails (Thread)

This has been a year in the making. A year of walking, exploring, writing, learning about and falling further in love with this beautiful land that I am lucky to call home. I hope my writing helps others to enjoy these trails as much as I have.

Part 1 - PINGXI TOU to WAI’AO

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This was the first section of the Tamsui Kavalan Trails that I walked and my word it’s a good one to get you hooked. Whether you like streams, forests, mountains or beaches you’ll find something to enjoy here.

Part 2 - RUIFANG(ish) to FULONG via JIUFEN

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This section of the TKT is nothing if not varied. It takes you through the old mining/tourist town of Jiufen, past long abandoned houses and guard posts, then finishes in the relaxed beach town of Fulong.

Part 3 - PINGLIN to QINGYUN BRIDGE

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This is the section of the TKT where the views to difficulty ratio are most favourable. It’s an easy walk along the side of a river through the pretty tea growing region of Pinglin.

Quite by chance, I just happened to have a roll of film with photos from this walk developed this week. Those skies are really quite menacing.

Part 4 - RUIFANG to SHUANGXI

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This leg takes you through some cracking rural scenery. It passes Houtong Cat Village, the Golden Letter Tablet and Mudan Old Street on its journey towards Shuangxi.

#TamsuiKavalanTrails #DanlanTrail #淡蘭古道

Part 5 - FULONG to DALI

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Whilst this certainly isn’t the most photogenic section of the TKT, it does have a strong claim to historical importance. This was the route taken over the hills by the first Han settlers to live on Yilan Plain.

#淡蘭古道

Part 6 - WANHUA to XIZHI

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Large tracts of the TKT have been absorbed into the city, and the process of walking/writing them is wholly different to the more remote sections. It’s an exercise in joining the dots both through history and space. #淡蘭古道

Part 7 - SHUANGXI to DALI
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This is the last leg of the journey shot on my phone, so you can expect slightly nicer pics from here on out. Highlights include the lovely town of Shuangxi and the oldest original section of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails.

Part 8 - FUYANG ECO PARK to SHENKENG

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On this leg of the TKT I revisited some of the trails walked on the Taipei Grand Hike. There are oodles of temples, cracking views of Taipei 101, and you can reward yourself with some Shenkeng stinky tofu.

Part 9 - DALI to YILAN
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This section is almost all along the road, but despite that I have very fond memories of the journey. There is so much beauty along this coast - clouds bloom over the sea and mountains are reflected in the paddy fields. #Taiwan

PART 10 - NEIGANJIAO to SHIFEN

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The hills just south of Shifen are rich in historical traces and a sense of times gone by. You can also enjoy the flavours of Shifen Old Street once you have finished your walk. (Watermelon snow ice is highly recommended.)

PART 11 - MUDAN LOOP

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This walk conveniently starts and ends at Mudan Station. Along the way you pass deserted mining settlements, a tomb with a tragic tale, (or several), and a now abandoned dam in the middle of the forest.

#淡蘭古道 #Taiwan #hiking

PART 12 - XIZHI to RUIFANG
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Following the Keelung River upstream, this section of the TKT passes many traces of the mining/trade that once thrived in Taiwan. I walked it in the height of summer on a thundery under changeable skies and oppressive heat.

Some more of those dramatic skies. #TamsuiKavalanTrails #淡蘭古道 #hiking #Taiwan

PART 13 - SHENKENG to WUTUKU

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As hinted in the earlier photos, today’s instalment is centred on Shiding. It starts off following the road out of Shenkeng, then morphs into a pretty riverside walk. This one scores highly on the prettiness:ease ratio.

PART 14 - QINGYUN BRIDGE to JIAOXI

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It’s time for another one. This is the final arc of the southern route before you arrive in the hot spring town of Jiaoxi. There are many kilometres of quiet trail to enjoy and the promise of a foot spa at the end.

PART 15 - WANHUA to FUYANG ECO PARK

I can’t quite believe it, but looking at the photos in this one makes me *almost* miss high summer. The fluffy clouds and bright blue skies are beautiful. #hiking #Taiwan #TamsuiKavalanTrails #淡蘭古道

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