Taoyuan Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Areas

Introduction

    Situated in Xiayun Village of Fuxin Township in Taoyuan County, Dongyanshan (Eastern Eye Mountain) National Forest Recreation Area spans 916 acres and ranges from 650 to 1212 meters above sea level. From its location behind a hill, it halts the advancement of the northeast monsoon. As a result, the climate is warm and comfortable. Since transportation is convenient, the area is perfect for day-trips.


    This area is situated on the foot of the western Snow Mountain range and is part of the Dahan River catchment area. From the peak of Dongyan Mountain, visitors can see the endless ridgeline, Taoyuan, Sanxia, Danshui Rivers and Chixin Mountain; the beauty of the region is indescribable. The most valuable segment in this area is the outcrop along the hiking trail, which has numerous fossils of shells, sea urchins, and foraminifers dating to ancient times when Taiwan was submerged in sea. Among all these fossils, the trace fossils are the most remarkable, because they formed 30,000,000 years ago when crustaceans dug out crevices in the rocks for shelter.This spectacular terrain makes for a wonderful outdoor geological classroom for visitors because its soil has undergone erosion from wind and water passage, sediment transport, sediment deposition, ripple drift, stratification, planar fracture, weathering, and soil drift. Thus, this area has significant research and educational value in the geological sciences.

Forest Trails

    There are three major trails from Forest Road that allow visitors to get upclose and personal with the forests of Dongyanshan: a scenic trail, a self-guided trail, and a wood-planked trail. The self-guided trail leads up to the highest point in Dongyanshan, where visitors can get an unobstructed view to the north. On clear days, the Cising Mountains in the distant Yangmingshan National Park are also visible.

Fossil Area

    Just off Dongyanshan Forest Road are several large boulders with fossil traces of organisms that lived on the sandstone seabed millions of years ago. The fossils serve as an invaluable record for researchers of geological change in Taiwan and provide another dimension of interest for visitors to the recreation area.

Cinzih Peaks

    Populated with aged, toppled trees and dense growths of fern, this forest park is steeped in an air of secluded tranquility that becomes even more entrancing when the mists settle in among the boughs. The forest is made up of old-growth Red Cypress and Taiwanese Yellow Cypress, some sprouting from the giant trunks of older trees. It takes about 30 minutes to walk the trail, which brings visitors through a densely forested environment with air rich in phytocide. Other scenic surprises await those who continue on up the Hemlock Forest Trail.

Forestry Monument

    Located at the end of Dongyanshan Forest Road, this stone monument provides an account of the afforestation work carried out by the Dasi Substation of the Hsinchu Forestry Administration at Dongyanshan in 1955. The seedlings planted those many decades ago have now grown into tall trees.