Tag Archives: Taiwan Hiking

Notes from the field: a sultry air hanging over the Four Beasts

February 15, 2020 Richard Brown Leave a comment

My last weekend in Taipei for a while, assuming of course that Embedded World 2020, Work Truck Show 2020, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG go ahead as planned.

There was a sultry air hanging over the Four Beasts this morning, almost as if spring had passed by in the blink of an eye and summer had arrived. For the first time, I was able to capture a close-up of a butterfly along a hillside trail. A symbol of hope for the future perhaps. Or more likely just a lucky break. Continue reading Notes from the field: a sultry air hanging over the Four Beasts →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: views of Leopard Mountain

February 8, 2020 Richard Brown Leave a comment

A couple of views of Leopard Mountain from my morning hike in the Four Beasts Scenic Area. I took them from the YongChunPi Wetland Park (永春陂生態濕地公園), a former military camp that is being converted into an ecological zone. Very impressive work by the Taipei City Government.

It’s quite amazing how much progress has been made in improving the quality of life in the city over the past twenty-five years. The construction of the subway has of course played an important part in this process, but so too has the imaginative urban planning that has complemented it. Holistic is a horribly overused adjective to describe this kind of approach, but in the case of Taipei I think it’s appropriate. Officials of other cities looking to improve mobility and livability in dense urban environments can learn a lot from the work that has been done here. Continue reading Notes from the field: views of Leopard Mountain →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: pounding the pathways of the Four Beasts

January 28, 2020 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Taipei’s still pretty quiet even though the Lunar New Year holiday finishes tomorrow. I suspect that a lot of people will take Thursday and Friday off and return to work next Monday.

I’ve been spending most of my break pounding the pathways of the Four Beasts Scenic Area while working my way through the wonderful back catalog of In Our Time podcasts hosted by the inimitable Melvin Bragg. I know I’m not the first person to remark on this, but the AirPods that came with my new iPhone have given me a greater appreciation of the power of the spoken word and led me to read less and listen more. Continue reading Notes from the field: pounding the pathways of the Four Beasts →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: Happy Lunar New Year of the Rat!

January 25, 2020 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Happy Lunar New Year of the Rat! Let’s hope it improves quickly after such an inauspicious start in China.

Our Lunar New Year’s Eve celebrations were low-key, mainly I suspect because all our kids have grown up so there was none of the previous excitement that accompanied the distribution of red envelopes filled with shiny new notes. The food, on the other hand, was great. That’s one tradition that never changes no matter who is present. Continue reading Notes from the field: Happy Lunar New Year of the Rat! →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: an invigorating hike to clear the mind

January 18, 2020 Richard Brown Leave a comment

There’s nothing like a long and invigorating hike to clear the mind and take stock of the week. This morning I walked from my usual starting point at the Four Beasts Scenic Area (四獸山市民森林碑) behind the Houshanpi MRT station to the Beixingbao Temple (北星寶宮). From there I took the Xiangshan Circular Trail down to Elephant Mountain and back into the city.

The views of Taipei and the surrounding mountains were spectacular. The temples along the way also provided myriad visual treats. I feel so grateful to live in this wonderful place where the peace and tranquility of nature are less than half-an-hour away. Continue reading Notes from the field: an invigorating hike to clear the mind →

Taiwan

2019 highlights: discovering the pleasure of hiking in Taiwan

December 28, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

I’m not sure why it took me nearly three decades, but this was the year I discovered the pleasures of hiking in Taiwan. Isn’t it amazing how easy it can be to ignore things that are right on your doorstep? That’s my excuse, anyway, and I’m sticking to it.

On your doorstep isn’t exaggerating too much either if you live in Taipei. In less than half-an-hour by bus and MRT I can go from home to my favorite stomping ground of Tiger Mountain in the Four Beasts Scenic Area (四獸山). This offers a huge variety of routes to choose from depending on your fitness and lots of great views to enjoy – not to mention lots of interesting temples to stop by at. Continue reading 2019 highlights: discovering the pleasure of hiking in Taiwan →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: exploring multiple pathways

November 30, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

One of the great delights of hiking around the Four Beasts Scenic Area (四獸山) is that there are lots of smaller pathways to follow that take you away from the main trails deeper into the lush vegetation covering the mountainside.

This morning I happened along this delightful little shrine when I took a different route down the mountain before arriving at a nearby temple. There are in fact, a lot of temples in the Four Beasts dedicated to an eclectic array of Buddhist, Daoist, and other Chinese deities. One day, I keep telling myself, I’ll be able to identify all of them… Continue reading Notes from the field: exploring multiple pathways →

Taiwan

Notes from the field: a morning hike in the Four Beasts Scenic Area

November 23, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

A pleasure to return to the Four Beasts Scenic Area this morning, even though my lungs and legs took a little time to readjust to the demands of climbing after a couple of weeks of pounding along flat fenland lanes.

One reason I enjoy hiking at the Four Beasts is the strong community spirit among the people who hit its trails. It’s always nice to be greeted by a friendly smile from someone I meet along the way and fun to watch groups of friends and neighbors exercise together at various spots on the hillside. The community spirit is even stronger at the nearby Yucheng Park. This morning the place was packed with people doing Taichi together. What a perfect way to start the day! Continue reading Notes from the field: a morning hike in the Four Beasts Scenic Area →