Tri-mountain National Scenic Area

The 5 km long Lion's Head Mountain Historic Trail is the road connecting the front and back parts of Lion's Head Mountain. There are two entrances to Lion's Head Mountain, one at Nanzhuang's Shishan Village (lion's head) and the other Hsinchu's Sheliaoken Bridge (lion's tail).

There are also two entrances to the lion's head at Nanzhuang, one being the new entrance near Quanhua Temple parking lot and the other the less travelled old entrance with a sign saying “Nanzhuang Line – Lion’s Head Mountain Historic Trail Entrance Station”. You begin ascending from the “Gate of Morals” and will walk past the flagstone trail laid with bluestones.

This is also the highlight of this historic trail as it is a footpath of historic importance that was built over a century ago. On the way up, you will pass the dense old woodland and see the famous Large Shishan Stone Wall. Large stone walls are a geological spectacle unique to Lion’s Head Mountain. The temples in Lion’s Head Mountain also use these walls as barriers. As the Large Shishan Stone Wall is located in a steep and narrow region, it has fewer human damages and has able to preserve its original look.The only manmade trace is some sutra engravings on the rock wall.

You will then reach the highest point of the Lion’s Head Mountain Historic Trail, the Wangyue Pavilion, which is also the boundary between Hsinchu and Miaoli County. There is also a marker stone indicating the boundary. The pavilion was originally called the “Gaoyang Pavilion” during the Japanese occupation period, but was renamed by General Huang Jie during its reconstruction. As the Lion’s Head Mountain is a well-known spot for admitting tung flowers and the Lion’s Head Mountain Historic Trail is relatively flat, it is suitable for the whole family to visit and see tung flowers together.