Experience the feast of nature
Walking out of the bustling city and stepping into the embrace of Tri-Mountain to have a pure exploration of nature.
Spanning across Lion's Head Mountain, Lishan and Baguashan, Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area offers a diverse range of geological landscapes and abundant natural flora and fauna resources. It is particularly renowned for its diverse landscape and terrain, where you can observe traces of humans utilizing the land and topographical resources in the early days as you explore Lion's Head Mountain. When you come to Lishan, you can observe the ever-changing river landscapes, such as meandering streams and canyons. When you come to Baguashan (Bagua Mountain), you can walk along the ridgeline of Baguashan to take in scenic views like Hengshan Cliff and the Longzaitou mountain range. It's a great opportunity for everyone to escape the city and embark on a nature exploration journey in the Tri-Mountain area.
Learn about the terrain features of these three mountains
Lion’s Head Mt.
The Lion's Head Mountain Scenic Area is located at the border of Hsinchu County and Miaoli County, in a transitional zone where hills transition into mountains. The terrain can be roughly divided into river terraces, hilly areas, and high mountain regions.
This area geologically belongs to Taiwan's Western Foothills, formed by the Oligocene and Neogene basins located west of the Central Mountain Range. It mainly consists of sandstone and shale interbedded, which can easily form cliffs.
Lishan
Situated within the Dajia River basin, Lishan Scenic Area features a diverse range of river landscapes, characterized by expansive cliffs, unique rock formations, and pebbled riverbanks, providing a remarkably varied and picturesque riverside scenery. The surrounding areas of Heping and Lileng on the Central Cross-Island Highway have many fault-controlled terraced waterfall due to significant drop in elevation of the Dajia River tributaries
Lishan is surrounded by renowned mountains. Apart from being a popular hiking destination, Lishan also offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy its high-altitude terrain and scenic landscapes. Below are some must-visit areas when you come to Lishan:
The Basianshan area: You can climb high to get a distant view of the peaks of Yushan, as well as Nenggao and Qilai mountain ranges.
Lishan: You can get a distant view of Jianshan (Jian Mountain), Jiayangshan (Jiayan Mountain), Daxueshan (Daxue Mountain), Taoshan (Tao Mountain) and so on.
Fushoushan (Fushou Mountain): Looking north, you'll be able to see Jiayangshan (Jiayan Mountain), Dajianshan (Dajian Mountain), and Xueshan (Xue Mountain). To the south, the magnificent Hehuan mountain range comes into view.
Huanshan: Huanshan, literally refers to “mountain-surrounded”, has its name derived from being surrounded by the Xueshan and Nanhu mountain ranges, allowing visitors to enjoy distant views of the mountains along the road.
Baguashan
The Baguashan Scenic Area features beautiful scenery and gentle slopes. County Highway 139 Scenic Route, which traverses the ridgelines of Baguashan, offers excellent panoramic views along the way. Hengshan Cliff, Longzaitou mountain range, and Mingjian Plateau are the distinctive landscape features of this area.
Due to the linear orientation of the central peak, the water systems in the Baguashan Scenic Area divide into eastern and western branches from the ridge, where the streams and rivers within this area run in an east-west direction, generally parallel to one another. Only a few wild streams erode along northwest to southeast geological fault lines, including the Wu River, Maoluo River, and Zhuoshui River.
Start exploring the natural ecology
Learn about the natural ecology of Lion’s Head Mountain
After entering Lion's Head Mountain, you will see its vegetation covered with evergreen camphor trees, as well as mu oil trees native to Guangdong and Guangxi on the mainland of China. Each April and May, the entire mountain is blanketed in snow-white flowers. Alpinia zerumbet, commonly known as shell ginger, also blooms milky white flowers between May and July. Moreover, there are various vine species, birds of prey, and unique bird species that are worth observing here.
Key ecological attractions
Spilornis cheela
As a subspecies endemic to Taiwan, the crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) resides in middle- to low-altitude broadleaf forests. They primarily prey on small animals and have a particular preference for snakes, which is how they acquired their name.
Taiwan Blue Magpie
Apart from raptors, in this mountainous area, you may also encounter the “long-tailed mountain lady” - Taiwan blue magpie (Urocissa caerulea) - that features a traililng black-and-white tail, beautiful sapphire blue feathers, a black head and chest, and a vibrant red bill and legs.
Chinese tree frog
The common Chinese tree frog (Hyla chinensis) has a vocal sac that bulges out even larger than its head. In terms of appearance, it has a dark stripe extending from its head to the sac membrane and shoulders, and its call is very loud. Therefore, it is also commonly referred to as the “rain monster” or “rain frog” in Chinese.
Learn about the natural ecology of Lishan
As you journey along the Central Cross-Island Highway into Lishan, you will encounter numerous Taiwan red pine (Pinus taiwanensis). Towards the end of winter and the beginning of spring, you will also see a layer of snow-like Taiwan spiraea prunifolia (Spiraea prunifolia Sieb. et Zucc. var. pseudoprunifolia (Hayata) Li) on the walls of the Central Cross-Island Highway.
Lishan is also a internationally renowned bird-watching destination, offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of over 20 species of birds. Among them, varied tit (Sittiparus varius), plumbeous water redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa), Taiwan barbet (Psilopogon nuchalis), and brown bullfinch (Pyrrhula nipalensis) are subspecies endemic to Taiwan, while the Taiwan yuhina (Yuhina brunneiceps) and white-eared sibia (Heterophasia auricularis) are precious species native to Taiwan. Between June and September, you can also appreciate the graceful presence of the Taiwan high-mountain endemic species “aurora swallowtail” (Atrophaneura horishana) when it flutters among the flowers.
Key ecological attractions
White-eared Sibia
The white-eared sibia (Heterophasia auricularis) has a long white eyeline with a few stylish tassels. Its call, described as “weep-weep-weep-weeeooo”, features a loud and upward tail note, making it the most unforgettable melody in the forest.
Formosan salmon
Known as an endemic subspecies of Taiwan and a relic species from the Ice Age, Formosan salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus) thrives at the highest altitudes among salmon. This prized national treasure fish has its breeding season every October to November, making it the prime time to appreciate its beauty.
Formosan Yuhina
Taiwan yuhina features a red-brown triangular crest on its head and a moustache on its face. Like white-eared sibia, Taiwan yuhina sings loudly in the early morning and can be easily discovered on the ecological trail of Lishan.
Learn about the natural ecology of Baguashan
The Baguashan Scenic Area features an elongated terrain due to the linear orientation of the central peak. Hengshan Cliff, the Longzaitou mountain range, and Mingjian Plateau are the renowned geological landscapes of the Baguashan Area, whereas the rest of the area are generally gently sloping terrain. The common plants of this area are Zuiho Machilus (Machilus zuihoensis Hayata), elephant’s ear (Macaranga tanarius), Taiwan acacia (Acacia confusa Merr.), camphor tree (Camphora officinarum), and mu oil tree (Vernicia montana). The most magnificent ecological spectacle occurs every spring when grey-faced buzzards (Butastur indicus) transit this area on their way to their habitat in the north. Apart from the grey-faced buzzard, Baguashan is also a stopover location for fairy pitta (Pitta nympha) and falls along the route of Taiwan's purple crow butterflies as they depart their winter habitat and migrate north. There is also a Formosan rock macaque protected area in Ershui Township, offering visitors the opportunity to have a close contact with Formosan rock macaques (Macaca cyclopis).
Key ecological attractions
Grey-faced Buzzard
The grey-faced buzzard, also known as the grey-faced eagle, is named after the grey face of the male bird. Grey-faced buzzards arrive in Baguashan and Dadu Plateau around the time of Qingming each year.
Chinese Goshawk
It is a precious and rare protected wildlife with a body length of 28-32 cm, making it a smaller raptor. Its migratory route is similar to that of the grey-faced buzzard, as they both pass through southern Taiwan every autumn and return to the north the following spring. After observing the grey-faced buzzard, you can continue to observe the Chinese sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis).
Macaca cyclopis
Known as an endemic species of Taiwan, it features a flat face and a thick, hairy, long tail. It also has the unique narrow nose found in Old World monkeys, with downward-facing nostrils, and hard, bare “sitting pads” (ischial callosities) on the buttocks. They are often seen in Songboling and on the Ershui Dengmiao Trail.
Specially selected ecological attractions
- TbulanLet's visit Songhe (known as “Tbulan” in Atayal) Tribe for an Atayal cultural exploration journey. You can also stroll along the Taiwan white pine boulevard here.
- Basianshan Forest Recreation AreaIt features a primitive forest landscape and offers distant views of high mountains, such as Yushan (Yu Mountain or Jade Mountain) and Nenggaoshan (Nenggao Mountain). You may also encounter white-eared sibia or other birds searching for food.
- Dajia River Power PlantApart from the significant power generation plant, there are various ecological spots, including the Maan Dam Ecological Park and ecological attractions along the fish passage. A reservation is required before visiting this place.
- Guguan ParkThe Guguan Park has various scenic spots in its vicinity, including the Guguan Museum and Shaolai Trail. Within the park, you can also enjoy the novelty of a fish pedicure by immersing your feet in a basin filled with fish.
- Guguan MuseumThe Museum provides an in-depth and accessible introduction to Guguan's history, geography, and ecological resources. It serves as a valuable knowledge center that helps you to learn more about this region.
- Shaolai TrailThis 1.5-km-long trail includes some steep sections that can be quite challenging. Besides, you can enjoy the beauty of spring cherry blossoms and vibrant autumn foliage, as it provides different natural scenery throughout the four seasons.
