After our two week self-quarantine, we were itching for some time outside the apartment and immediately started searching the internet for our next adventure. It wasn’t too long before we stumbled upon Shoushan National Park (or Monkey Mountain), which is conveniently located within Kaohsiung’s city limits.
HOW TO GET THERE
- From Kaohsiung Main Station, (or any of the stations where Bus 56 stops), take Bus 56 to Yuanheng Temple Station. This costs $12NT ($0.35USD) per person for a one-way ride. You can also take a taxi for $120NT ($4USD).
- The bus drops you off in front of a handful of beautiful Buddhist temples. Walk past them and you’ll arrive at a large hill. This is the trailhead.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The hike starts with a dramatic elevation gain that left us (embarrassingly) out of breath within the first thirty minutes. Luckily, the trail has so many beautiful viewpoints that we were happy take it slow and enjoy the climb. The path was pleasantly shaded from the sun and well-maintained, complete with water stations and seating areas, so it was easy to spend hours out there without getting too hot or worn out. In addition to the beautiful views, Shoushan kept us on our toes with its varied terrain, which ranged from flat, paved roads to a trail that was so steep and rocky that we had to physically pull ourselves up using ropes. Whether it’s a strenuous climb or a relaxed stroll, Shoushan has what you’re looking for!
We originally planned on doing the seven mile loop that was listed on AllTrails, but ended up having a more unorganized adventure, meandering to various lookouts and pavilions, following whichever path looked more promising at the moment. As I said before, the trails are very well marked and maintained, but the signs are pretty inconsistent. We would walk on a trail to a certain pavilion for miles, only to check the next sign and find that pavilion had mysteriously disappeared or we had somehow passed it. Either way, we had a great time wandering around and were able to find a lot of great lookouts and places to hang out.
One of the coolest things about these trails is the abundance of monkeys! Throughout the hike, we spotted at least twenty monkeys casually swinging in the trees or meandering through the forest. They are very used to humans, so it was easy to get pictures of them. Just don’t feed them, they can get aggressive.
We ended up doing about five miles on the trail system, reaching Quinlin Station and a few other unnamed lookouts. Although we were pretty worn out at this point, Shoushan has many more miles of trails, so we will definitely be back to explore all the park has to offer!