Taoyuan Confucius Temple (桃園孔廟)

July 17, 2016 in Photo Post, Temples, Taoyuan

The Confucius Temple in Taoyuan is one of the newest temples dedicated to the sage in Taiwan and while it may not have the history as the temple in Taipei, Tainan or Hsinchu, it does offer a pretty great balance in terms of beauty and the natural environment that surrounds it.

This is probably my favourite Confucius temple in Taiwan and I don't say that just because I live in Taoyuan, I say it because of the size of the temple, the beautiful colours, the open space and of course the natural environment that surrounds it.

With this post I'm not going to go into as much detail as I did with my post about the Taipei Confucius Temple as the this one isn't as significant historically to Taiwan, but I will take bits and pieces from the post about Taipei's temple to explain some of the aspects of this temple that are similar to other Confucius temples found throughout Taiwan.

For a bit of history though, the Taoyuan Confucius Temple was constructed in 1989 and like other Confucius Temples it consists of a Dacheng Hall (大成殿), Dacheng Gate (大成門), Lingxing Gate (櫺星門) and a Chongsheng Hall (崇聖祠). The temple follows the same strict zen-like simplicity that you see in other temples but for me this one stands apart in the beautiful reds that are on the pillars and around the temple.

The key difference between this temple and other temples found throughout Taiwan though is that this is only Confucius Temple that has a statue of the sage himself. Since the Ming-Dynasty it has been tradition for temples dedicated to the memory of Confucius to only have spirit-tablets (神位) within the confines of the temple.

This temple splits from tradition and while the statue of Confucius isn't in the main shrine room I was quite surprised while walking along the side halls and seeing a giant statue of the sage looking right at me.

If you haven't read my previous blog about the Taipei Confucius Temple, I'm just going to explain briefly below the different parts of the temple and what is their purpose:

Dacheng Hall (大成殿)

Dacheng Hall is the main shrine area of any Confucius temple. The hall, which is known in English as the "Hall of Great Achievement" sits in the architectural centre of the entire complex and is also in the middle of a large granite courtyard. Inside the hall is a very simple set up with the Confucius spirit tablet set up on a nicely decorated table.

The table in the Taoyuan temple is quite a bit more ornate than other temples but pretty much remains similar to all of the other Confucius temples in Taiwan. There are an additional two shrines in the room found upon the west and east side walls and are dedicated to the four sages (四配) Yan Hui (顏子), Zengzi (曾子), Zisi (子思子) and Mencius (孟子) who were Confucius scholars and authored books which continued the philosophy.

Lingxing Gate (欞星門)

The Lingxing Gate acts as the main entrance to the temple - It's a necessary part of any Confucius temple and symbolizes Confucianism's 'willingness to accept anyone with talent and virtue'. The gate at the Taoyuan temple is much different than what you see at the Taipei temple and despite a different set of colours it looks like a gate that you'd likely see in front of any large temple in Taiwan. The gate sits directly beside the road and welcomes people in a grand way to visit the temple. While standing under the gate make sure to look up and enjoy the beautiful detail on the 'roof' part of the gate.

Chongsheng Shrine (崇聖祠)

The Chongsheng Shrine is situated behind the main Dacheng Hall and is used as a shrine room to venerate the ancestors of Confucius as well as the various Confucian sages and philosophers throughout history. This shrine room is not unlike a shrine room that you'd find in any large Taiwanese home and is an important place for ancestral worship.

The descendants of Confucius have spread out throughout China, Taiwan and Korea so it's important for them to have a place to worship. The shrine room isn't often open to visitors but you can look through the windows to see inside and if it is open you can walk in and see a smaller shrine room that is quite similar to the much larger shrine in Dacheng Hall.

Confucius Ceremony

Every year on September 28th the nation celebrates what is known as "Teachers Day" (教師節) which in actuality is the birthday of Confucius. Teachers Day is the most important and also the most active day of the year at Confucius Temple's all around the country. The ceremony that takes place at the temple each year pays homage to the most important educator in Chinese history but also pays homage to all the teachers who work tirelessly to educate the students of this country.

Confucius's philosophy of "educating all without discrimination, and teaching students according to their talent" is a core value of the education system in Taiwan and no matter what issues I have with the system that is in place in Taiwan, it is an admirable quality that no one with a sincere desire to learn, no matter what their class or character is given the opportunity to receive an excellent education. The Confucius Memorial Ceremony is an elaborate event that celebrates a tradition that deserves a lot more attention than a short description, so I hope to be able to attend the ceremony this year and give a better description of it!

It's hard after so much research on these temples to say that I have a particular favourite - The Taipei Temple has a history intertwined with modern Taiwan and the fusion of traditional architecture with southern architecture is quite cool. The Tainan temple is the oldest temple of its kind in Taiwan and the massive trees around the temple make it a sight that shouldn't be missed.

For me, I like that the Taoyuan temple is so large that it dwarfs the others - I like that it is nestled into the side of Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山) with hiking trails and wildlife all around it. I love the large red pillars within the temple as well as the large opens spaces inside that make it extremely easy for a photographer to get beautiful shots especially since the temple is rarely very busy.

It's obviously not a competition to say which one is the best, but the Taoyuan temple has a special place in my heart because of all the factors I listed above. It's not convenient to get to and it's certainly not the popular tourist attraction that the other two are and at times it seems like parts of the temple aren't properly taken care of, but that shouldn't stop you from trying to check it out if you're in the area!

For more information about Taiwan’s Confucius Temple’s please check out my Confucius Temple Guide.

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

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Taipei Confucius Temple (台北孔廟)

July 10, 2016 in Travel, Temples, Taipei, Photo Post

When I first started writing this blog a few years back, I wasn't as organized with how I would present photos and information as I am now, nor did I really imagine that the blog would get as much attention as it has. I planned on posting photos quite often but hadn't really considered that the content would often be just as important to people visiting the blog as the photos were. To that effect I made a few posts that combined locations and didn't really provide the information that certain places actually deserved.

This was the case when I posted about Taipei's Confucius Temple (台北孔廟) as well as its neighbour Bao-An Temple (保安宮) which happen to be two of Taipei's most important places of worship and also travel destinations for tourists. My plan is to rectify that by giving each location the proper respect and making separate blog posts using both new and old photos as well as giving more detailed information.

I know a lot of people don't share my passion for temples in Taiwan and posting about them isn't as great for traffic in the short term, but I think that temples of this importance and cultural significance deserve a much better effort on my part, so here we go:

Taipei's Confucius Temple (台北孔廟) located in the city's Da-Tong district (大同區) is a popular tourist attraction in Taipei and is an excellent example of southern Fujianese architecture. The temple is open year round to tourists with a full time tourism bureau kiosk inside the gates offering guided tours to visitors and it also acts as a Chinese cultural centre holding free Chinese calligraphy lessons as well as other classes that bridge the gap between China and Taiwan as well as the west.

The temples are known throughout Asia as "Temples of Literature" but it's important to not confuse them with temples dedicated to the Wenchang King (文昌大帝) who is otherwise known in Taoism as the "god of literature". The difference between the two is that while there are various religious celebrations dedicated to the Taoist God and during exam times students will visit to pray for good grades, that doesn't actually happen at a Confucius temple as they're set up more to promote education and venerate an individual who is thought to be the greatest teacher who ever lived.

The simplicity of the temple may make the average tourist think that it pales in comparison to its much larger and more spectacular neighbour Bao-An temple (or any other Taoist temple for that matter), but that is really not the point of a Confucius temple - They are set up to seem like an ancient school and while inside may seem like a library but there is certainly a lot to notice when you're there.

There are of course various Confucius temples found throughout Taiwan and while the Taipei temple was not the first to be constructed (Tainan's Confucius temple was the first in Taiwan built in 1665) nor is the the most beautiful (Taoyuan's is the most beautiful in my opinion) but the temple does have an interesting history and that history relates to the modern development of Taiwan through the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese Colonial era and the most recent Republic of China period of Taiwan's history.

History

The Taipei temple's origins date back to the Qing Dynasty (清朝) when the empire established a proper base of operations in Taipei years after the defeat of the descendents of Koxinga (鄭成功) and his clan of Ming-loyalists (who occupied parts of Taiwan and were considered a major annoyance to the newly formed empire) and started to develop the city.

History has shown that for the majority of time that the Qing controlled Taiwan they were mostly uninterested in the island referring to it as a "ball of mud beyond the sea" which added "nothing to the breadth of China" (海外泥丸，不足為中國加廣) and were ultimately unable to expand their land control any further than the western coastal strip due to disinterest and the fact that Taiwan's Indigenous groups (who had lived on the island for tens of thousands of years) weren't exactly interested in making friends with strangers.

This fact is important to remember when you hear about Chinese claims of sovereignty over the island as the Qing couldn't even come close to controlling the entire island the way the Japanese did.

In 1875, almost two hundred years after the Qing took partial control of the island they established "Taipei prefecture" and almost immediately set in motion plans to construct a Confucius temple to serve the literati, matters of the court and impose imperial culture on the people of the island. Construction work on the temple began in 1879 with parts being finished in 1881 and the rest reaching completion in 1884. The location of the temple was different than today and is actually on a site near Taiwan's presidential palace in the governing district of the capital.

The lifespan of the original temple was cut short due to the breakout of the first Sino-Japanese War (甲午戰爭) and the ultimate signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki (馬關條約) which ceded control of Taiwan and the Penghu islands to the Japanese empire. When Japan took control of Taiwan they quickly moved to quell any sort of resistance and also put much more effort into achieving complete control of the island than the Qing did.

Taipei being a major economic centre for the Qing meant that the population of the city was likely very loyal to the empire and uprisings were often held forcing the Japanese to strong arm the population and institute new policies that would promote Japanese culture and language.

In 1907 the original temple was torn down and replaced with the Taipei First Girls School (臺北市立第一女子高級中學) causing most of the ceremonial objects and tablets within to be destroyed or disappear. This is where the story gets interesting however - The harsh policies implemented by Japan didn't last that long and when the situation cooled down, life in Taiwan wasn't actually that bad. The Japanese brought with them modern education and helped to develop the island making life here more bearable and coincidentally more efficient - something which continues to this day.

When those policies were eased up a group of people including several Japanese members of society formed an organization which aimed to collect support and more importantly donations for the construction of a new temple. Land owners in the area ultimately donated over 180,000 square feet of land for the temple in Daodaocheng (大稻埕) which meant that the next step was to find an architect to construct the temple.

This was an issue for the people in Taipei because no one actually had any skill or experience building an actual Confucius Temple. The history lesson up to now might have been a bit boring but for me this is the part that gets interesting - The organization that was tasked with construction of a new temple now had the land and the funds necessary to build a temple, but they needed someone with the building and design expertise to bring it all to fruition.

They contacted a well-known builder from Fujian province named Wang Yi-Shun (王益順) who was well-known in Taiwan at the time for his masterpiece of renovation work which he had completed on the Mengjia Longshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺) as well as on the Hsinchu City God Temple (新竹城隍廟) - giving him a resume like no other! The organization contacted him shortly after he completed work on the City God Temple and he agreed to their terms becoming the chief engineer in charge of both design and construction of the new temple.

Wang is still considered one of the best carpenters of the late Qing dynasty and has a reputation for creating a fusion of the most important characteristics of Southern Chinese and Fujian-style architecture with that of traditional northern Chinese buildings like that of the original Confucius temple in Qufu.

Due to Wang's influence the newly constructed temple became the only Confucius temple in Taiwan (of which there are many) which was designed with Fujian-style adornments while still finding its inspiration from the original Qufu Confucius temple (山東曲阜孔廟) in China's Shandong Province.

Purists may argue that liberties were taken with such a fusion of styles but I think it's important to remember that the blending of styles allowed for some familiarity and more appreciation of the temple as the majority of Taiwan's earliest immigrants came from Fujian province and were not well well-versed in Northern-Chinese architecture.

Construction on the temple commenced in 1927 and on September 28th 1930, Teacher's Day (Confucius' birthday) was celebrated in Taipei for the first time in decades. At the time of the celebration the temple was only partially completed, however Wang Yi-Shun returned to China where he died shortly after at the age of 70.

After Wang's death, further additions were ultimately added to the temple complex which were completed in 1939. Shortly after completion the Second World War broke out and the Japanese ended the period of relative harmony as the nation prepared for war and because of this, Chinese cultural ceremonies were banned meaning that the Confucius temple was about to enter another difficult period.

After Japan surrendered to the allies, they were forced to relinquish control of Taiwan to the newly formed Republic of China which was led by the Chinese Nationalist Party (中國國民黨). The government quickly set up shop in Taiwan shortly and was ultimately forced to fully retreat to Taiwan with millions of people when they lost the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

In 1950 on the occasion of the 2500th birthday of Confucius, President Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣中正) visited the temple and gifted it with a large plaque with his personal calligraphy - The plaque read "Education for All" (有教無類) and the temple thus entered the modern period where it was gifted to the Taipei City Government in order to ensure that education and Confucian philosophy should be a priority for the nation.

Design

Confucius temples tend to be uniform in their simplicity - Unlike the overwhelming beauty of Taiwanese folk temples and Taoist temples - Confucius temples stand alone in their almost "zen-like" nature in that they don't have shiny gold or bronze decorations and murals all over the walls with hundreds of sticks of incense creating a haze throughout the temple.

The simplicity exhibited in Confucius temples throughout China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is meant to be a show of respect to Confucius as well as the importance of his philosophical views of education and his influence on Chinese culture and history.

One of the common features of all Confucius temples is that there is no imagery or statues of Confucius. This is a rule that goes back almost 500 years to the Ming Dynasty (明朝) when the emperor decreed that all Confucius temples should be uniform and only have "spirit tablets" (神位) rather than images of the sage. This practice has endured in Confucius temples up until today but if you really want to see the guy you don't have to go far as the neighbouring Bao-An temple has a shrine set up to the sage.

Dacheng Hall (大成殿)

Dacheng Hall is the main shrine area of any Confucius temple. The hall sits in the middle of a large granite courtyard with a large elevated platform in front of it as well as on the sides. Inside the hall is a very simple set up with the Confucius spirit tablet set up on a nice red table with an "Education for all" (有教無類) plaque above it. The phrase was taken from the Analects of Confucius (論語) and was written in calligraphy by none other than the glorious dictator Chiang Kai-Shek himself.

The simplicity of the shrine room is a stark contrast to what you'd see at a Taoist temple but there is beauty in simplicity and if you have the chance to walk inside the shrine room (it's not always open to the public) I recommend stepping in and checking it out.

There are an additional two shrines in the room found upon the west and east side walls and are dedicated to the four sages (四配) Yan Hui (顏子), Zengzi (曾子), Zisi (子思) and Mencius (孟子) who were Confucius scholars and authored books which improved upon the philosophy.

The key things to notice in the hall would be the spirit tablets but also the 'seven-levelled' pagoda in the middle of the roof which is thought to suppress evil. There are also 72 clay owls under the pagoda. You should also check out the 42 large pillars inside the shrine room and on the outside as well. The wooden trusses below the roof are also painted in the southern Fujian style so it sets the hall apart from others in Taiwan and China.

Lingxing Gate (欞星門)

The Lingxing Gate acts as the main entrance to the temple. It's a necessary part of any Confucius temple yet the main gate at the Taipei temple is unlike any other and is where the architect and designer Wang Yi-Shun had the most influence.

The gate is decorated with beautiful ceramic murals on the sides featuring bird and flower patterns as well as different events in the life of Confucius. The ceramics are part of the reason why this temple has set itself apart from the rest and shouldn't be missed. The gate acts like a park and there is a lot of greenery in and around the gate.

It is a popular hangout for local senior citizens who want to come and have a chat with friends or have some peace and quiet from city life. One interesting thing to note however is that Wang Yi-Shun passed away before the gate was completed so if you have a sharp eye you may notice subtle differences in the wood work around the gate.

Chongsheng Shrine (崇聖祠)

The Chongsheng Shrine is situated behind the main Dacheng Hall and is used as a shrine room to venerate several generations of the ancestors of Confucius as well as the various Confucian sages and philosophers throughout history. This shrine room is not unlike a shrine room that you'd find in any large Taiwanese home and is an important place for ancestral worship.

The Taipei Confucius temple is generally not a very busy temple, but it is a well-known tourist attraction in close proximity to an MRT station. There are sparse groups of visitors throughout the day and the temple really only experiences massive crowds of people on Teacher's Day (September 28th). If you are in Taipei at that time and want to experience an ancient tradition that venerates China's most important sage you will have to wake up early as the ceremony starts at 6am and is often attended by mayors and presidents alike.

The temple is a short walk from Yuanshan station (圓山捷運站) on the red line of the Taipei MRT. There are signs that lead tourists in the direction of the temple and it is quite easy to find. If you visit, you are free to enjoy the temple and the park next to it - There is a tourist information bureau just outside the temple that will provide information about the temple in several different languages.

I realize that this was a long post, but I thought the temple deserved a much better effort on my part and hope that the detail in this blog, which I spent quite a bit of time translating from Chinese helps people to better understand the temple and how unique it is - something I didn't actually realize before doing all of this research!

For more information about Taiwan’s Confucius Temple’s please check out my Confucius Temple Guide.

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

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Jade Mountain (玉山)

July 02, 2016 in Photo Post, Chiayi, Mountains, Landscape

Jade Mountain (玉山) or "Yushan" as it is more commonly known by people here in Taiwan is the highest mountain in the country and is the fourth largest mountain on any island in the world. The mountain is an important symbol for Taiwan and its image is engrained in the minds of every person living in here making it one of the iconic images of this prosperous island nation.

Images of the mountain can be found all over the country in restaurants, businesses and civic buildings as well as inside the Taiwanese passport and on the back of the $1000 NTD dollar bill. No matter where you go in Taiwan the image of mountain is easily recognizable and the people here are proud of their mountain. Yushan is thus a hike that is a MUST for hikers and outdoorsy types in Taiwan and is one that I have hiked on three different occasions.

I had actually planned to hold off on writing this blog post until I hiked the mountain for a fourth time but I decided that I would share photos from my previous two hikes and then ultimately update the post with (better) photos from my next trip whenever that happens! The photos I'm sharing today are not only from two different hikes but from two different cameras. The second time I hiked Yushan I had a Canon 50D with great weather and the third time I was using my current Canon 5D3 which is a full frame camera and perfect for the beautiful panoramic landscapes on Yushan. The problem is that on my third time to hike the mountain the weather was terrible and the photos weren't up to what I consider my normal standard.

My plan with this post is to share photos, some logistical info about the hike and my personal experience hiking the mountain and who can help you get to the top. This hike is one of the best hikes in Taiwan and I highly recommend that even if you are not an avid hiker that you try it at least once as it is a life changing experience to say the least!

Jade Mountain sits within the much larger Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園) which covers a total of 103,121 hectares and includes a large section of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range (中央山脈) which splits Taiwan down the middle and separates the east from the west. The park contains 30 of Taiwan's 100 peaks (百岳) which are over 3000 meters and two-thirds of the rest of the park is well over 2000 meters above sea level.

Jade Mountain proper consists of five different peaks which range in altitude between 3,952m (12,966ft) to 3,467m (11,375ft) and are as follows:

The Main Peak (玉山主峰) - 3,952 m (12,966 ft.)
The Eastern Peak (玉山東峰) - 3,869 m (12,694 ft.)
The Northern Peak (玉山北峰) - 3,858 m (12,657 ft.)
The Southern Peak (玉山南峰) - 3,844 m (12,612 ft.)
The Western Peak (玉山西峰) - 3,467 m (11,375 ft.)

The hike to the main peak is a favourite with Taiwanese climbers as well as foreigners who often combine a trip to peak of Yushan with a trip to Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Fuji (Japan) to complete the trifecta of 'East Asian Giants'.

The mountain trail is for the most part a relatively easy hike and the trails are well developed making the hike accessible to able-bodies. While I say that the trail is relatively easy there are a few difficulties to keep in mind: The first is that the latter part of the hike from Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊) to the main peak is considerably more difficult than the rest of the hike (and is typically done at a very early hour and in the dark). The second is the logistics of actually getting the necessary permits and bed space within the lodge - The hike is extremely popular and the amount of people that are allowed to go up and down each day is capped at around one hundred. It's not easy to get a spot, especially on weekends so if you plan on coming to Taiwan just for this hike you'll have to keep this in mind. While this might seem like a pain in the ass I think it is a great measure by the national park service to keep congestion off of the trails, preserve the natural surroundings of the mountain and ensure that accidents are controllable.

There are a few different options for hikes that are available - The first (and most common) is a three day/two night hike that is quite leisurely and enjoyable. For this hike you'll need a guide, permits and bed space at Paiyun Lodge. The second option is a much more insane one that involves completing the entire hike in a single day. You'll need permits to get in and you still need a trained guide to accompany you. There is space for 92 people in the lodge and costs $480NT/night while the permit to enter the park is free.

The best way to get to the mountain is to join one of the many hiking groups that actively plans trips to Yushan (as well as other mountains) and for a set fee will take care of transportation, permits, accident insurance, food and other logistics. For foreigners, the best groups to join would be Taiwan Adventures (which is run by foreigners) or the 523 Mountaineering group (a university group with avid hikers who speak English). Of the two, Taiwan Adventures might be the best because they are a much more active group and plan hikes all over Taiwan's high mountains. They also allow for private trips if you want to pay a little more for a personalized experience.

Yushan National Park (Permits and Applications)
Taiwan Adventures (Group Hikes and Guides)
523 Mountaineering Group (Group Hikes and Guides)

If you end up choosing the more enjoyable three day/two night trip your experience will likely be a little like this:

Day 1 - Getting to Tataka (塔塔加)

The hike to Yushan typically starts with a shuttle in Taipei. You get to meet the team leader and your fellow hikers and from there you make your way to Chiayi (嘉義) where you'll likely stop for something to eat and last minute preparations. From there it is likely that the shuttle will take you up the mountain road passing by Alishan (阿里山) and arriving at the Dongpu Villa (東埔山莊) where you'll have dinner, a quick shower and off to bed. If you arrive at the villa early enough you may go on a quick hike near the villa where you'll have great views of the mountain range.

Day 2 - Tataka Saddle (塔塔加鞍部) - Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊)

The second day is probably the easiest and most fun part of the hike. You wake up early in the morning and after breakfast you are taken to the Yushan National Park headquarters (which is across the street from the villa). It's likely that while you are making your way across the road that you can see some Formosan Rock Macaques (台灣獼猴) nearby. At the park HQ your passports/IDs are checked and then you (might) have to watch a safety video. When everybody in your group is checked and ready you will be taken in a shuttle bus to the Tataka saddle which is actually just the trailhead for the hike and your 8.5km hike to Paiyun lodge starts.

The hike to the lodge is easy and quite leisurely as you are walking on a beautiful trail with panoramic views of the beautiful valleys below. It's also quite likely that you'll get to experience the sea of clouds (雲海) that the mountains are famous for. The trail is quite easy and there are more than enough rest stops for people who might be feeling a little tired.

Halfway through the hike to the lodge you'll come up to a separate trailhead for Yushan Front Peak (玉山前鋒). This peak isn't included in all itineraries but is a challenging hike up a very steep hill. If your group is making good time to the lodge you might want to consider an excursion up to this peak.

The hike from the Tataka saddle to Paiyun takes you from an altitude of 2,600m - 3,402m and should probably only take about three to four hours depending on the speed of your group. Remember that you're not in a race to the top and do your best to enjoy all of the beautiful scenery. If the weather is good, enjoy it because it could ultimately change in an instant.

When you arrive at Paiyun Lodge it's important to acclimatize yourself to the altitude. This means that you cannot take a nap just after you arrive. Sit on the benches, chat with your fellow climbers, make friends with the other climbers who are staying with you, read a book, write a book or whatever it is that will occupy you for a short period of time. If you sleep as soon as you get there you will likely feel nauseous and uncomfortable when you wake up.

You will likely have arrived at Paiyun in the early afternoon but after a few hours it will be time for dinner and a bit of relaxing. You will likely have to sleep when it starts to get dark (as day three starts very early in the morning).

Day 3 - Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊) - Main Peak (玉山主峰)

One of the highlights of being on the summit of Yushan is to experience the sunrise - If you get good weather while on the peak you'll witness some extreme beauty and one of the best natural light shows that you'll ever see as the sun comes up. The hike from Paiyun Lodge to the peak takes another two hours and you go from an altitude of 3,402m - 3,952m.

Taking into consideration that the sun rises just after 5am and that you need to eat breakfast and have your permits checked before leaving, it's very likely that you'll wake up anywhere between 1:30-2:00am. You prepare a small hiking bag (you can leave your larger bag at the lodge) and start the trek up to the peak. This is the hardest part of the hike because you are tired, and it's cold, windy, dark and steep. In a short two hour hike you climb over 500 meters in altitude and it can be a bit difficult if you are not used to mountains like this.

While on top of the mountain and waiting for the sunrise it's important to stay warm. It's cold and windy at the top and the warmest temperatures vary between negatives and five degrees. When the sun comes up have your camera ready and snap off a thousand shots and then line up for a shot of yourself on the "Yushan Main Peak" marker. Make sure to explore the peak while you're there because after the sun comes up most groups only stay for an hour or so before making their way back down to the lodge.

Day 3 - Main Peak - Paiyun Lodge - Tataka Saddle - Home

When you are done on the peak you have a long walk ahead of you. When you head back down in the daylight you can really appreciate the scenery around you that you missed in the dark. After an hour or so you arrive back at Paiyun Lodge, have a quick lunch and pack up to make your way back down to the saddle. The hike from the peak to the saddle is 10.9km but it is mostly downhill so it goes by pretty quickly. By the time you get back to Paiyun you are likely tired so you probably aren't as interested in enjoying the scenery but make sure to take your time on the trail down to the saddle. Once you arrive at the saddle a shuttle bus will pick you up and take you to the park headquarters where your shuttle that will take you back home will be waiting.

The hike to the peak of Yushan is one of the absolute MUSTS for a lot of people in this country and is a matter of national pride to make it to the peak at least once! The hike isn't that difficult and is extremely rewarding. There are of course more difficult hikes with more beautiful scenery in Taiwan but this one is the highest and you are sure to enjoy yourself if you have the chance to do it. I've done this hike three times now and it is still at the top of my list of places to go when I have vacation time. If you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to take your chance to stand on the highest peak of one of the most beautiful country's in the world!