I'm so glad I didn't write about this hike at Chiayi county in Taiwan from back in 2017. Now it gives me a great opportunity to look back at these stunning hikes, roaming around the Taiwanese mountains that I yearn so much.
A HIKE LIKE NO OTHER
Normally my hikes in Taiwan involves quite a bit of scrambling up steep slopes, often heaving myself up ropes and treading on tree roots as steps in the thick forest. Most of the time I can only catch a glimpse of the blue skies through the overtowering trees or bamboo forest. This hike was very different from those.
The destination was a peak called Da Jian Shan which translates to big pointy mountain at 1305 meters above sea level. I trekked through the undulating tea fields all the way, carpeted with Taiwan's famous gaoshan ie high mountain tea. This is tea grown at altitudes over 1000 meters above sea level. The purity of the air quality and the natural precipitation produces some of the best green tea in Taiwan, famed for its high quality and aroma.
Whilst I didn't drink any tea during this trip - it's common and almost a ritual for many Taiwanese hikers to do that on their hikes - the hike was certainly a feast for any hikers' eyes. Rows and rows of tea fields are planted according to the contour of the mountains. They reminded me of the beautiful Afro braided hairstyles I see in magazines, intricate yet mesmerizing, a type of random geometric that fits perfectly together.
As with all hikes, respecting nature is crucial. And this was even more true here as we're talking about people's livelihood. High mountain teas are picked twice a year, between March and May, and late October till late November. The former is called spring tea and has a stronger aroma than winter tea, and is often considered a bit more superior.
I came here in early November, and the farmers hadn't started picking the tea leaves yet. The winter harvest volume isn't as high as the spring, therefore they often leave the picking till a bit later for maximum growth. You'll notice it's very foggy all around, this is what helps to give the tea its distinct aroma. Whilst it doesn't offer the best mountainous view, the carpet of tea fields on the undulating slopes more than compensates for it and adds another level of sensation to the hike.
At this stage, I'd been hiking for nearly an hour. Distance wise, it isn't that much as it was a simple uphill trek, but it took me an hour as I kept on taking so many photos, and stopped to admire the gorgeous view. Also, I figured if the best tea leaves are grown at this elevation, surely it's beneficial for human beings to linger around a bit longer!
Near the top of the mountains were these pulley systems to transport tea leaves from the bottom of the hill. Then they would be transported away to be processed.
Yes, there are roads here of course, but what fun would it be if we drove up here instead of walking through the tea fields. There was a little stall by the road side at this point. The plastic container has some aiyu in it, this is jelly made from a particular type of seeds which is not available in many places around the world. I did a video about aiyu previously and how to eat it, you can check it out below. From here, I went up the stairs through the bamboo forest, further up towards the mountain.
This is one of the peaks before I get to the top, it's called Ma An Shan, or Saddle's Peak and is at 1265m ASL. Normally, these minor peaks just have a flimsy sign, often a homemade laminated one made by the hikers. This particular peak also has another nicer sign put up by a place that sells coffee. That's why it has a Facebook page as well.
A little later, I finally reached Da Jian Shan, at 1305 m ASL. The name and altitude are set in stone here 😀 I was surprised to see the stone has been defaced, as it doesn't happen often in Taiwan, especially up in the mountains.
From here on, I descend down the other side of the mountain, still trekking through the tea fields. One will never get tired of this scene and I wish it was like this all the way home.
Alas, all good things must come to the end, I got to the end of the tea fields. The last part of the hike was along the tarmac road, this is where the tea leaves are transported to be processed. There was a little processing plant on the way, I think the tea leaves were rolling inside the green machine which would then be dried on the bamboo trays, and finally bagged for sale. There were some bags already on the trolley, I expect they would hit the shops very soon.
I'm getting towards the end of my hike today. If I remember correctly I took the downhill road on the right here, and very soon I arrived at the temple where we parked our car that morning. You didn't think a temple won't appear in a Taiwan hike post, did you?