Foreigners in Taiwan - 外國人在臺灣
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私

Blog Posts

Guide to Shiding 石碇懶人包

9/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Share

Tweet
Picture
Shiding District is a secret mountain paradise in New Taipei City, in northern Taiwan (新北市石碇區). Lots of people simply pass through here without knowing much about what there is to see. In this guide I will show you some of the secret historical and nature destinations in this amazing place. 

Historical Background:
The name Shiding comes from boats transporting goods from the area that used to use large rocks (shi 石) in the river as anchors (ding 碇). The Shiding administrative area (石碇堡) was created during the Qing Dynasty and extended from Keelung to Wenshan District.
The area around Shiding Old Street was the first area to be developed by Han Chinese in Shiding. In the early days during the Qing Dynasty, the Han Chinese settlers here mainly grew tea and leeks.
During the Qing Dynasty, Shiding was an important stop along the Danlan Old Trail (淡蘭古道 which means the road between Tamsui and Yilan), which was split into three paths, and Shiding was on the Southern Path. The Southern Path winded from Mengjia Old Street to Liuzhangli, then to Shengkeng, and onto Shiding which was a major tea producer at the time. From Shiding, the road then went to Pinglin and then Yilan. The Southern path was the quickest way to Yilan. 
During the Japanese Era until the 1980s, the major industry in the area was coal mining, As the coal mining industry winded down in the 1980s and 90s in Taiwan due to lower worldwide coal prices, the economy in Shiding suffered and many people left.  
The multi story buildings near Shiding Old street are a testament to the economic prosperity of the coal mining era.
Currently Shiding is sparsely populated with the main economic activity including tea farming and agriculture.
See below for a map of the sites we will cover in this blog:
In this blog we will cover the following places:
  • Jingmei River Old Ferry Dock 景美溪舊碼頭
  • Danlan Old Trail 淡蘭古道
  • ​Xingde Cihui Temple 行徳慈惠堂
  • Shiding Old Street 石碇老街
  • Huangdidian Trail 皇帝殿登山步道
  • The Wormhole 蚯蚓坑 
  • Shiding Yuguiling Cliff 石碇玉桂嶺大峭壁
  • Pudu Changsheng Bridge 普渡長生橋
  • Thousand Island Lake 千島湖
  • ​Erge Park 二格公園
  • ​Hufan University 華梵大學

See below for our drone footage of Shiding:
Let's get started!

Jingmei River Old Ferry Dock 景美溪舊碼頭
Picture
The western edge of Shiding begins along the Jingmei River. This river was an important means of transport along the Danlan Old Trail, to bring tea and other goods from Yilan, Pinglin, and Shiding to Tamsui. In the olden times, there was a ferry dock here which is long gone, but there are some steps that lead down to the river, which has become a popular fishing spot. Check out our drone video of this area here: youtu.be/Oa3KSINktGI. 

Danlan Old Trail 淡蘭古道
Picture
As explained above, the Danlan Old Trail (淡蘭古道 which means the road between Tamsui and Yilan), which was split into three paths, and Shiding was on the Southern Path. The Southern Path winded from Mengjia Old Street to Liuzhangli, then to Shengkeng, and onto Shiding which was a major tea producer at the time...(read more).

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car: Go east on National Freeway 5, then get off at the Shiding interchange. Continue east until you reach the suspension bridge.
By Scooter: From Taipei, take highway 106 east from Shenkeng toward Shiding, pass through Shiding Bao Tunnel, and soon you will come to the suspension bridge.
By Bus: From Taipei City Call MRT station, you can take bus 912 to Shiding High School, after that you will have to switch to bus 666, then get of at Shuangxikou Station (雙溪口站).

Xingde Cihui Temple 行徳慈惠堂
Picture
If you take a slight detour up the hill before you reach Shiding Old Street, you can reach Xingde Cihui Temple, which is dedicated to Huye (虎爺) the tiger God. From here you can see great views of the area and National Freeway 5. There are also some excellent hiking trails in the area...(read more).

Hours:

24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car: Go east on National Freeway 5, then get off at the Shiding interchange. Continue east until you reach the suspension bridge. After that, take the first bridge to your right up the mountain and up to the temple. The road is a little steep so you might want to park at the bottom.
By Scooter: From Taipei, take highway 106 east from Shenkeng toward Shiding, pass through Shiding Bao Tunnel, and soon you will come to the suspension bridge. After that, take the first bridge to your right up the mountain and up to the temple. 
By Bus: From Taipei City Call MRT station, you can take bus 912 to Shiding High School, after that you will have to switch to bus 666, then get of at Shuangxikou Station (雙溪口站).

​
Shiding Old Street 石碇老街
Picture
Shiding Old Street (aka Shiding East Street) is a small street in the busiest part of the mountainous Shiding District in New Taipei. There are some great restaurants here, an old mining town feel, great views of old multi story houses towering over the rivers, and beautiful surrounding mountains. Also, there are some great hiking trails and scenery nearby...(read more).

Price:
​Free

Hours:
About 8 AM to 5 PM.

How to get there:
By Car: Go east on National Freeway 5, then get off at the Shiding interchange. Continue east until you reach Shiding Old Street.
By Scooter: From Taipei, take highway 106 east from Shenkeng toward Shiding, pass through Shiding Bao Tunnel, and soon you will come to Shiding Old Street.
By Bus: From Taipei City Call MRT station, you can take bus 912 to Shiding High School, after that you will have to switch to bus 666 which will take you all the way to the old street (total about 40 minutes).

​Huangdidian Trail 皇帝殿登山步道
Picture
The Huangdidian Trail (aka Huangdi Temple Trail) is a magnificent mountain hike in Shiding District of New Taipei. The trail features ladder climbs, rope climbs, and rock climbs with the aid of ropes, and the top has a vertical drop on either side. There are also great views of Taipei and the surrounding area...(read more).

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Length:
4.5 KM, 300 meters of elevation gain
About three hours total

Difficulty:
Moderate, there are some rope climbs and ladder climbs up sheer rock face, and sheer drop-off on either side with little protection from falls in some places. Also the trail can be quite steep in some places.

How to get there:
By Bus: Take Bus 912 from Taipei City Hall, then switch buses at Wanfu Bridge. Take Bus 666 to Huangdi Temple station, and the trail head is about a 15 minute walk up the hill. 
By Car/Scooter: Take highway 106 past Shiding Old Street, then turn left on a small road Marked "Huangdidian." There is a temple with a bunch of yellow lanterns in front of it.

The Wormhole 蚯蚓坑
Picture
The worm hole is a slot canyon in Shiding a little over ahundred meters long, with a waterfall on the other side of it. It was a popular spot for canyoning, until it was closed for swimming by the Taipei City government in 2019. Hopefully it will open again someday, but for now it is off limits. 

​Shiding Yuguiling Cliff 石碇玉桂嶺大峭壁
Picture
Throughout the mountains of Shiding and Pingxi are quite a few sheer cliffs and rock walls, formed from sedimentary rock being thrust upward by tectonic forces. Many of these places are not well known and hard to get to, but they are beautiful features in Taiwan's mountainous terrain. One of the largest of such rock walls is the Yuguiling Rock Wall in Shiding, which is the largest sandstone cliff in Northern Taiwan...(read more).

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7


How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take highway 106 east through Shiding until you reach the large U shaped bridge before Yongding Village. Do not get on the bridge, and take a right under the bridge up the mountain valley. Keep going straight until you reach the rock walls. 
By Bus: Take bus 795 from Shiding until you reach Tengliaokeng (藤寮坑)  station. From there it is about 4 KM or one hour walk to get to the cliffs, not ideal!

Pudu Changsheng Bridge 普渡長生橋
Picture
Pudu Changsheng Bridge is known as the most beautiful bridge in northern Taiwan. It is an old stone bridge that was built in 1953 to connect two small villages in the mountains of Shiding District. Now it is a popular spot for hikers and photographers. ​

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car Scooter: Take highway 106 east through Shiding until you reach the large U shaped bridge before Yongding Village. Do not get on the bridge, and take a right under the bridge up the mountain valley. Keep going straight until you reach Yuguiling Road, and turn left. Keep going until you see the bridge on your right side after about 500 meters. 
By Bus: Take bus 795 from Shiding until you reach Tengliaokeng 藤寮坑  station. From there it is about 4 KM or one hour to get to the bridge, not ideal. 

​Thousand Island Lake 千島湖
Picture
Thousand Island Lake (Officially Feitsui Reservoir 翡翠水庫 or Emerald Lake) is a reservoir in New Taipei that sits in Shiding District. It is a popular place to visit because the reservoir winding through the mountain valleys looks like many islands from a distance. It also has the largest concrete dam in Taiwan...(read more)

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 9 east toward Pinglin. Take a right down the mountain right before Taipei Garden Cemetery. There are a few restaurants and lookouts along this road.
Bus: Take Sindian Bus GR12 east to Shisangu Station. From there you can walk about half an hour down to the lookout. ​
Erge Park 二格公園
Picture
Erge Park is one of the few public parks in Shiding District, which is mostly mountainous wilderness. There are nice views here, as well as some shops and restaurants nearby. 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Beiyi Highway from Xindian, and keep going southeast until you reach the park.
By Bus: Take Xindian Bus Green 12 from Xindian Old Street, and get off at Erge Park stop. It is about an hour bus ride. 
Picture
This is about the only park in Shiding with playground equipment. 
Picture
There are some shops and tables at the park too, but none of the shops were open when I went there except for one coffee shop.
Picture
Sunset as seen from Erge park, with a Chunghua Telecom tower in the background. 

Hufan University 華梵大學
Picture
Yes, Shiding has a university! Huafan University is a Buddhist University that was completed in 1990. It is the second highest (at 550 meters above sea level) and may be the most remote university in Taiwan. There are only a few coffee shops and convenience stores on campus, and not much of any food options near campus. But it is a quiet and tranquil place to finish your university education, I guess.

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take highway 106 east toward Pinglin, and turn left up the mountain when you see the signs for Huafan University. 
By Bus: Take Bus 912 from Taipei City Hall, then switch buses at Wanfu Bridge. Take Bus 666 east to Hufan University Station. 
Picture
View of southeast Taipei from the road near Huafan University. There is a lookout here that lets you see all the way to the Taipei 101. 
Picture
Whenever you enter Shiding district from a main road you should come across this sign with a Teapot. I know of at least three of them. Shiding always welcomes you.

This is nowhere near all the things you can do and see in Shiding. I have much more exploring myself and will be sure to update this blog soon with more places to see in Shiding. In the meantime, go explore Shiding for yourself!
Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

     Author 作家

    We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. ​Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country.

    ​​我們是在台灣的外國人!我們透過額部落格想要幫助外國人了解台灣生活,旅遊,和商業的環境!我們不代表所有在台灣的外國人, 我們只是想要幫助世界各地的人了解台灣美好的一切! (美國人在管理)

    Archives 檔案

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories
    ​類目

    All
    2006120221
    Aboriginal Culture 原住民文化
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Amusement Parks 娛樂園
    Art 藝術
    Basic Info 基本資訊
    Basic Info 基本資訊
    Beaches 海灘
    Blogroll 部落格名單
    Bridges 橋梁
    Buddhism 佛教
    Buddhism 佛教
    Business 商業
    Business 商業
    Camping 露營
    Car Driving Test 考汽車駕照
    Car Rental 租氣車
    Changhua 彰化
    Chiayi 嘉義
    Children Activities 小孩活動
    Chinese Film 中文電影
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Pollution 中國污染
    Click Bait 點擊誘餌
    Coal Mining 煤礦
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Daily Life 日常生活
    Driving In Taiwan 開車
    Drone Flying 飛空拍機
    East Taiwan 東部
    Ershui 二水
    Events 活動
    Festivals 節日
    Fish Foot Massage 溫泉魚
    Floral Sea 花海
    Food
    Food 食物
    Forts 堡壘
    Fruit 水果
    Geography 地理
    Geography 地理
    Geology 地質
    Golf 高爾夫球
    Green Energy 綠色能源
    Growing Bananas 種香蕉日記
    Guest Blog Posts 客人部落格
    Hakka Culture 客家文化
    Hiking
    Hiking 爬山
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hsinchu 新竹
    Hualien 花蓮
    Immigration/Visa 移民/簽證
    Japanese Era 日治時期
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Kaohsiung 高雄
    Keelung 基隆
    Kenting 墾丁
    Kinmen 金門
    Lakes And Reservoirs 湖及水庫
    Longdong 龍洞
    Lukang 鹿港
    Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市
    Maolin 茂林
    Matsu Islands 馬祖列島
    Miaoli 苗栗
    Miaoli 苗栗
    Migrant Workers 外籍勞動
    Monkeys 猴子
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Nangang 南港
    Nantou 南投
    Nantou 南投
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    Natural Scenery 自然風景
    Night Market 夜市
    Northern Coast 北海岸
    Not Taiwan 台灣以外的地方
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Old Streets 老街
    Old Trails 古道
    Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼)
    Outer Islands 外島
    Pathos And Logos 情與理
    Penghu Islands 澎湖群島
    Pingtung 屏東
    Pingxi Railway 平息火車綫
    Politics 政治
    Politics 政治
    Railways 鐵路
    Recreational Farms 休閑農場
    Rock Climbing 攀岩
    Scooter Driving Test 考機車駕照
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Shiding 石碇
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shopping 購物
    Sicao Green Tunnel 四草綠色隧道
    Smokestacks 烟囪
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Surfing-3490928010
    Taichung-3327420013
    Tainan-3327421335
    Taipei-101-101
    Taipei-101-2148821271-101
    Taipei-2148821271
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei 臺北
    Taipei 臺北
    Taitung 臺東
    Taiwanese Spouse 台灣配偶
    Taiwan FAQ 臺灣常見問題
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan Temples 臺灣的廟
    Tamsui 淡水
    Taoyuan 桃園
    Taroko Gorge 太魯閣
    Tax 稅
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 10 前十名
    Transportation 交通
    Tsai Yingwen 蔡英文
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Typhoons 颱風
    Ultimate Guide 極限指南
    Urbex 城市探險
    Waterfalls 瀑布
    Weather 天氣
    White Terror 白色恐怖
    Wildlife 野生動物
    Women In Chinese Society 女士們在中國社會
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Wulai Hot Springs 烏來溫泉
    Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xizhi 汐止
    Yangmingshan 陽明山
    Yilan 宜蘭
    Yunlin 雲林
    Yushan (Jade Mt.) 玉山
    Zhongtaishan 中台山
    Zoos 動物園

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.