Hit the Trail with Your Pals-Enjoy the natural splendor

Hit the Trail with Your Pals - Enjoy the natural splendor

Travel Day: 1 day
Trail Distance: 7.2 km
Hiking Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Main Route: Ganjiao, Bengshankeng Historic Trail, and Taiping Farmers’ Market

Features:

Family fun

Photo Spots

Outdoor

Highlights

Taifa Charcoal Kiln

Come to Taifa Charcoal Kiln for a glimpse into the secret of coal making. At that time, the kiln produced the largest amount of coal in the Shuangxi area, supported by over one thousand workers on a daily basis. Workers only made six dollars in profit when burning a kiln and earned less than 100 dollars a day, but they had to work long hours under high temperature and extreme risks. Their skin was torched red and dry, but they had to continue working to support their families.

Weihui Temple

Weihui Temple was the center of both religious and everyday life for Ganjiao residents. In early years, Ganjiao produced tea, and tea merchants would trade at the temple plaza. Other vendors joined the booming commercial district, selling pork, tofu, and groceries. During the gold rush era, Ganjiao was the transportation hub of the Danlan Historic Trail system that connected nearby villages—south to Daping, north to Shifenliao, and east to Dingshuangxi. There was even a handcar railway between Ganjiao and Dingshuangxi when the mining industry was at its peak.

Bengshankeng Historic Trail

Bengshankeng Historic Trail was the most important section of the central Danlan Trails. Before public roads were available, it was the transportation artery for miners to commute to work, and for3 villagers in Ganjiao and Taiping to purchase supplies and visit relatives. Natural splendors abound along the trail—terraced fields, natural forests, crystal clear streams, and the signature plant of the trail, “coupled dipteris.”

Taiping Farmers’ Market

A taste of bountiful seasonal ingredients. As Taiping is surrounded by mountains and endowed with clean water and rich soil, local farmers grow a wide variety of local vegetables by applying sustainable farming practices. Ms. Adan, a local culinarian, designed an a la carte menu for visitors to enjoy seasonal flavors. Her dishes are full of love and memories of her mountainous hometown.

Itinerary

8:00-8:50 Taipei Main Station to Taifa Coal Kiln
8:50-9:30 Guided Tour at Taifa Coal Kiln
9:30-9:40 Walk from Taifa Coal Kiln to Weihui Temple
9:40-10:00 Guided tour at Weihui Temple
10:00-10:20 Walk from Weihui Temple to Benshankeng Historic Trail
10:20-15:00 Hiking on Benshankeng Historic Trail
15:00-15:20 Walk from Benshankeng Historic Trail to Taiping Farmers’ Market
15:20-16:30 A la carte meal at Taiping Farmers’ Market

Tour Details

Price

Inclusion

From 80 USD per person

Tour Reviews

Don’t just take our word for it. Read what our previous clients have to say about us!

This is the first time I've booked the tour with Topology, the experience with them was fantastic! Penny who has communicated with me from beginning to the end, she is very responsive with all the questions I had or requested, and well informed about tour guide's info and pickup time. Fun time seems to pass by quickly, Spencer surely made our trip so memorable, we will always remember him and hopefully one day we will meet up again. =)

It was a very interesting trip. We knew unique places and very beautiful views. I recommend it and thank our guide Mr. Clint Liang for his help and kindness. It was very important that he knew the area so well.

We were a family of 13 that did 2 private day tours and airport transfers with Topology. Peter was excellent with all communications from the beginning. Airy was a wonderful bilingual guide thar really made us feel at home. The kids in our group also warmed up to her quickly. The included lunches were sumptuous and extensive. They are a little pricey but well worth every penny.

We had an amazing time in Taiwan! Allen from Topology was responsive throughout the planning stages. We have a child with many food allergies and requested an English-speaking guide to accompany us for the entire trip. We could not have been happier with Spencer! We spent 7 days with him touring Taipei, Jiufen, Yehliu National Park, Kaoshiung, and Kenting National Park. He kept that pace quick for the kids and most of our free time was spent exploring different markets sampling street food. Spencer kept my son safe during the entire trip, and by the end he was like a part of the family.

Our 8 day private tour of Taiwan included Taipei, Jiufen, Shifen, Taroko, Sun Moon, & Taichung. Both our consultant, Vivi, & our driver, Henry, were excellent. We felt well taken care of from beginning to end. Henry was especially accommodating to our changing needs and requests. He was punctual, patient and attentive to our interests, even suggesting extra stops that may appeal to us & taking pictures for us. Despite some minor stomach issues at the first half of the trip (we were not able to eat some of the planned dinners), we still got to see many scenes & sites that surprised us: Taroko gorge was stunning; releasing sky lanterns was fun; the local wet market was lively; the oyster/clam digging area looked like a wet sand desert complete with a windy sand storm. Over all, everything went smoothly, and our group of 4 adults + 1 child, enjoyed our trip immensely. Thank you