Highlight Attractions in Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area

Located in Xiayun Village, Fuxing Township, Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area, also known as Eastern Eye Mountain, covers an area of 916 acres, with an elevation of 650 to 1212 meters above sea level. The recreation area is found at the base of Snow Mountain Range, belonging to the Dahan River catchments. With its strategic location behind the hill, it blocks the fierce northeast monsoon, making the climate in the district warm and comfortable. Because of accessible and convenient transportation, the area is ideal for day-trips.

dongyanshan forest, taoyuan, tw — Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area

There are numerous attractions inside the national park, with lofty trees such as Japanese Cedar, Chinese Fir and many temperate trees from Lauraceau and Fagaceae families. Outside the forest, the roadside is filled with Taiwanese cotton rose that blooms every autumn. While hiking through the day, tourists can hear the melodious sound of Strong-footed Bush Warbler and Laughing Thrush, two common bird species found in Dongyanshan.

Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area consists of four major hiking trails – a spectacle path, knowledge trail, Donman hiking trail and self-guided trail that let visitors interact with the greeneries and natural resources. The self-guided trail starts from the Tourist Center leading up to the peak of Dongyanshan, where hikers are rewarded with a pastoral view of the North. From the peak, you can witness the continuous ridgeline, Taoyuan, Danshui River, Sanxia and Chixin Mountain. The length is around 4.1 kilometers including the branch line and the entire trip take about 2.5 hours. The Spectacle Path has a total length of approximately 342 meters and the trip only takes 10 minutes. It is the flattest path and features carving woodprints. On the other hand, the 2000-meter Knowledge Path features preserved ancient lumbering facilities such as early tools with detailed descriptions. Donman Hiking Trail covers a total length of 8 kilometers and features abundant forest resources. The most notable one is the ancient forest of Taiwan beech.

Just outside the Forest Road are a number of huge boulders with fossil embeddings of organisms believed to have lived millions of years on sandstone seabed. The boulders contain plenty of fossils of sea urchin, shells and foraminifers that confirms that Taiwan was indeed under the sea in prehistoric times. The discovered fossils are very important geological discoveries for researchers as well as another interesting portion of the recreation area. Filled with old, towering trees and thick forest of ferns, Cinzih Peaks is soaked with a secluded tranquil air that becomes even more mysterious with the fogs and mists settling in the forest. The forest has numerous aged Red Cypress and Yellow Cypress.

Moreover, the Forestry Monument is situated at the end of Forest Road. The wide stone monument provides details on the afforestation program done by the Daxi Substation of Hsinchu Forestry Administration in 1955. The seedlings planted during those times have grown into lofty trees.

The abundance of geological and biological resources in Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area offers many fun-filled opportunities for various recreational activities such as hiking, sightseeing, bird watching and learning about animals and plants. The recreation area also has a knowledge-based building with ecosystem showroom that shows natural history education for tourists.