Into the deep of the woods of Taoyuan, Taiwan
Just 625 meters above sea level, White Rock Mountain hiking trail begins in Daxi district, in the northwestern municipality of Taoyuan, Taiwan. It is less than one hour away from Taipei City by car. Budget travelers without a car can make it here by arriving first to Taoyuan City by train and then hiring a taxi or another ridesharing service.
While the climax of the trail is a massive “white” rock that provides a spectacular view of Taoyuan City and the mountain range which this hiking trail is part of, the route is popular among locals during the spring for the ‘’tung tree” (油桐花, Vernicia Fordii) blossoms that look like white patches on a blanket of deep green across mountains. On the ground, the fallen flowers look like “summer snow” covering the ground in many parts of the trail. This was my luck during my visit in April.
With cool streams of mountain water and winding trails suited for all kinds of explorers, this is an ideal one-day hiking challenge that can be well done in 4-hours time, and a unique opportunity for nature photography.
All pictures were taken with the Canon EOS M50 camera system.