Lion's Head Mountain — Local services in Sanwan

Lion’s Head Mountain (also known as Shitoushan or 獅頭山) is one of the most underrated attractions in Taiwan. Whether you enjoy hiking, are interested in Taiwan’s Buddhist and folk religious culture, want to spend a night in a temple, or simply want to get off the beaten track in Taiwan, Lion’s Head Mountain should be high on your list. It has been a sacred spot for Buddhists since the Ching Dynasty, and is a favourite countryside escape for thousands, who flock during the weekends from Taipei and beyond. During the week, however, it retains much more of its classic secluded Buddhist retreat feel, and is a far cry from the bustling streets of Taipei. Picturesque views and great hiking trails compliment location tranquility.

MIAOLI’S LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN (獅頭山) Taiwan 🇹🇼

Lion's Head hiking duration: 2-3 hours calculated by a distance of 5.5 km round trip.

One of Taiwan's designated national scenic areas covering over 24,000 hectares of land in both Hsinchu and Miaoli counties. The mountain is considered sacred to Taiwanese Buddhists and is a popular weekend tourist spot due to the amount of temples, shrines and monasteries that make their home throughout the mountain.

What sets this particular lion apart from the rest is its enduring role as a site of spiritual significance. For generations, visitors to the mountain have found its slopes dotted with a proliferation of temples, with Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian values all getting representation. The temples vary greatly in style, some are rather grand and swanky, some darkly ornate, blackened by years of incense smoke, and others are humble and plain. This merging of nature and culture, coupled with some very easy country lanes and a well-paved network of trails makes Miaoli’s Lion’s Head Mountain a great destination for a relaxing day trip.

Quan-Hua Temple, the only Taoist temple on Lion’s Head Mountain, was built in 1897 and is the oldest temple on the mountain. The temple is primarily dedicated to the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) but there are also shrines set up within the temple to other Taoist deities as well.

Quan-Hua Pagoda (勸化堂寶塔) is always easily visible from atop the mountain, but getting to it actually isn't that easy. The reason for this is that the pagoda is used to house burial remains of temple elders and followers. Truthfully the pagoda looks much better from far away and getting up close and personal with it is kind of disappointing as it looks much cooler rising up out of the mountain from far away.

Fu Tian Temple (輔天宮) a Buddhist temple built during the Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan. The temple was completed in 1915 and despite having all the traditional Taiwanese design aspects of a temple adhering to Feng Shui (including the direction the temple faces, the courtyard style building, a main hall, bell tower, etc.) it is still a living testament to the Japanese influence on the people at the time.

The most beautiful season at Lion's Head Mountain includes April and May, when it is blanketed in snow-white tung flowers during the day and fireflies light up the dark forest at night. This is a seasonal beauty that should...

The lion's head mountain is located in the center of the Taiwan a little to the north, allowing its own and strangers to marvel at the beauty of its temples. Taking the train from the main Taipei station you can reach the ZUNAN station, this station is of vital importance because it is the recommended bus terminal to take the next bus en route, after arriving at this station it is necessary to take the bus 5805 or 5804 (either takes it close but it is recommended the bus 5805 that leaves it under the path, the 5804 will leave it about two kilometers ahead of the beginning of the path). Already under the path it is time to put on your shoes and walk and walk bleachers, after about thirty minutes walking you will find the first temple, and the beautiful views that are just beginning, later you can experience the beauty of the place and its number of temples . It is advisable to wear comfortable clothes and shoes so as not to suffer injuries, lots of water and food because the places there are not good. There is water in the temples but moreover, the temples are not close enough and the experience is quite exhausting and dehydrating. Beautiful experience highly recommended for locals...

Genuinely the most beautiful trail/temples with peaceful vibes. I highly recommend visiting this place. The interiors are also gorgeous. There is plenty of parking at the start of the trail, so you can easily park your car. I suggest spending at least an hour at this trail as there is a lot to see. The trail is super long and there are several temples...