Jiantanshan Trail — Attraction in Zhongshan District

Not perfect but good enough especially due to the ease of access for Taipei dwellers. Get there by any form of transportation, MRT Jiantan stop, bus stop, YouBike, car, walk. There is an OK bathroom at the entrance, which is lovely and is a challenging flight of stairs so take it easy as you start out. There are more leveled paths once you’re up higher in the mountain so it does get easier. Almost all cement paths or stairs though there are some worn out dirt patches which is easier on the knees. It’s also neat there are many other paths you can take to explore different parts of the mountain so you can plan accordingly to what time you have available. Strangely there are some badminton courts in mostly poor condition and I imagine you don’t find many people playing there. Quite a bit of mosquitoes so I’d recommend wearing long pants and long light jacket with shirt sleeves tshirt even in hot summer months. It gets windy once you’re out in the clearing like “The Usual/Old Place” (老地方) where you have a great view of Taipei City and Songshan Airport (aka “plane spotting area”). Lots of signage so there’s little worries about getting lost. Lots of resting places too though some are a simple stool but it works for those who need it. Bathrooms available up in the trails too but spread out some. Lots of old time bunkers no longer in use but serves nicely for photos. Also lots of small temples everywhere and some have karaoke going on even on weekday mornings. Expect more than usual people since it’s conveniently located in the city. Probably not good for elementary school children since it’s quite a climb at some parts. Took me about an hour going to the Old Place but only half an hour returning. I tend to enjoying hikes with fewer people around but the location itself is likely to draw me back frequently. Bring enough water as there doesn’t seem to be any replenishments...

Very easy and lovely trail. There are renovations going on right now that restrict the path, but before that there were many cool hidden routes with so many cool temples and community centers. Once you reach the airplane viewing place, there are many more trails you can take all across Neihu.

A bit crowded and narrow for any biking. Lots of temple dog makes it not great for dogwalking. I saw an off-leash dog aggressively attack an innocent temple dog last time I was here :( I've never had a problem with the temple...

It's a nice place to go to get away of the usual city atmosphere while still being in the middle of the city. It makes me happy that Taiwan protects the nature they have. I didn't give it 5 stars because of two reasons: one, past 4:00pm when the sun begins to set, a ton of mosquitoes come out, and they are crazy big. Two, there were parts of the trail that are very very rundown and a bit confusing which I mean, it has its own kind of beauty (like in a scary movie) but it...