Sun, Sep 16, 2001 page17

• Finding peace and good trails

  Within Taipei's city limits there are dozens of kilometers of bicycle trails for outdoor enthusiasts to get some exercise and often some stunning views of the city

  • By Ian Bartholomew / STAFF REPORTER
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  Cycling in Taipei is often regarded as foolhardy at best, and fighting the city's chaotic traffic provides ample justification for this assessment. Nonetheless, in recent years, considerable effort has been made toward establishing bicycle paths to promote non-polluting transport, though within the city itself, the project has met with limited success.

  On the city's riverbank, long stretches of trail have been created. Some sections of this network have suffered periodic neglect, but in the well-maintained stretches these riverside trails provide a haven for the cyclist who doesn't have the time to get out of town.

  

  Looking at Taipei from its riverbanks provides a different perspective. It is easy to forget that the city has such wide open spaces, as in this section of the Hsintien River near Yungfu Bridge.

  PHOTO COURTESY OF CYCLAND FOUNDATION

  Much of Taipei is hemmed in by a giant "U" made up of the Keelung River (基隆河), the Tamsui River (淡水河) and the Hsintien River (新店溪). Because of the ever-present danger of flooding, huge concrete dikes have been built to protect the city, leaving large, open tracts of land outside the protective barrier next to the rivers. With numerous points of access, the riverside trails can be ridden over individual sections, or taken in total for over 40km of bicycle track with only occasional contact with traffic.

  

  Though muddied after rain, many trails are well-suited to families looking for safe and fun riding.

  PHOTO COURTESY OF CYCLAND FOUNDATION

  Starting from the northeastern arm of the U, the trail runs from near the Nanhu Bridge (南湖橋) in Nankang (南港) to the jumble of bridges that cross the Keelung River near the Grand Hotel (圓山飯店). This section travels through Tachia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園), Taipei's most popular riverside park. Unfortunately, in large sections, especially at its western-most extent, the trail is sadly neglected.

  The western-most road entrance to this section is a small floodgate located opposite 180 Sungho Rd. (松河路), located near the intersection of Keelung Road (基隆) and Pate Road (八德路). Heading west from this point, there is about 4km of rideable trail, the first section broken up by a few recreational gardens, and then from a point called the Nankang No. 3 Riverside Park, it deteriorates rapidly from blacktop to mud. The mud is silt left over from flooding during typhoon Herb in 1996. People have even planted some rudimentary vegetable gardens here. The trail becomes impassable as you approach the Nanhu Bridge. There are stairs over the dike at many points along the trail, but no street-level entrances.

  

  Cyclists gather under a bridge.

  PHOTO COURTESY OF CYCLAND FOUNDATION

  Heading in the other direction from the Sungho Road entrance, it is just under a kilometer to the No. 5 Floodgate (基五號疏散門), which opens onto Fuyuan Road (撫遠路). This area is called the Kuanshan Riverside Park (觀山河濱公園) and provides parking and cheap bicycle rentals on weekends. From here it is about 5km to the Tachia Riverside Park, which is

  

  Some stretches of bike trails, like this one near Kuanshan Park are not especially scenic, but are relatively traffic-free.

  PHOTO COURTESY OF CYCLAND FOUNDATION

  well-stocked on weekends with food, drink and entertainment options for kids. On weekdays, the park is virtually deserted. Bridge construction currently cuts this trail just after the No. 7 Floodgate, requiring a detour onto Pinjiang Road (濱江路). This unsightly strip of auto parts dealerships, driving schools and car pounds sees a constant and dangerous flow of heavy traffic.

  The section between Kuanshan Riverside Park and Tachia Riverside Park is probably the most heavily used section of the riverside cycle trail, and while the environment is pleasant, it suffers from overcrowding on weekends and is far from being the best that Taipei's river trails have to offer.

  

  Banyan trees line sections of the trail along the Tamsui River, mitigating the starkness of the environment outside the city's dikes.

  PHOTO COURTESY OF CYCLAND FOUNDATION

  The Tachia section can be exited from the No. 10 Floodgate, where the culturally inclined can stop off at the Lin An Tai Old House (林安泰古厝), a beautifully preserved old residence. From here, a couple of kilometers of street cycling is required to connect with a much less used and, from a cyclist's point of view, vastly superior section of trail. The shortest route requires cutting across heavy traffic.

  

  Near Chengte Bridge, shown in the background, a trail begins which leads cyclists to Shetze and then to Wanhua.

  PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES

  Starting under the Chungshan Bridge (中山橋), there is almost 20km of trail with minimal contact with cars. The trail can be entered from a small street under the Sun Yat-sen Highway next to the Yuanshan (圓山) MRT station. The small street that climbs up the dike doesn't look promising, a dark cavern which serves as a parking area and urinal for taxi and truck drivers. Passing through this brings you to the top of the dike that leads down into a wide riverbank. From here the trail rounds the tip of Shetse (社子), then follows the Tamsui River to Wanhua (萬華). There are splendid views along the route. Seeing Taipei from the river provides a totally new perspective on the look of the city.

  Some areas along the trail have also been converted into sports areas where groups often play baseball, soccer and even croquet. Other sections are less well-maintained and grass alongside the trail sometimes reaches waist-high. Initially, the river is at some distance from the trail, but a couple of kilometers on, the trail mounts the dike, and you ride on the 2m-wide tarmac surface, looking across mud flats and shimmering water. For a short section, it is necessary to ride on the road, which is lined with small factories, but there is little traffic, and for the most part, the dike offers uninterrupted vistas, culminating with a view across to Kuantu (關渡) and the Kuantu Bridge, with Kuanyin Mountain (觀音山) in the background.

  More river scenes can be found on the southern leg, with the addition of a couple of small riverside communities, most centered around small temples. While there are few fish to be had this far downstream, many people still enjoy living life by the water, even if it is just sitting in an easy chair sipping tea and chatting with friends.

  Currently, this long, uninterrupted stretch is broken just before the floodgate opposite Kueiteh Street (貴德街), where the Tamsui ferry dock is located. From here one travels 4km to the Huachung Riverside Park (華中河濱公園), which is often buzzing with life. This park, which can be entered directly from Wanta Road (萬大路), has plenty of sports facilities and short cycle tracks ideal for family cycling. This area is also set up for bird watching, and the population of birds is really quite remarkable for such a heavily developed area.

  One kilometer out of Huachung Riverside Park is the Machangting memorial park, which is outside the dike opposite Youth Park (青年公園). This memorial, which commemorates the victims of the political terror of the 1950s, stands stark against the broad flat expanse of the river and park. In its stark simplicity, it is a poignant memorial to the political prisoners who were executed at this spot.

  From here, there is about another 3.5km of somewhat barren riverside landscape before the trail comes to an abrupt halt at Yungfu Bridge (永福橋).

  From this point on, the riverside trail becomes somewhat broken up. A pleasant stretch from under Yungfu Bridge is often closed off due to work carried out by the water processing plant there, but it is possible to circumvent this by following the road to Fuho Bridge (福和橋), after which it is possible to carry your bike over the dike and ride on to the Chingmei Bridge (景美橋). This section, which is closed off to motorbikes, is particularly idyllic.

  While there are good sections of trails after this along the Chingmei River (景美溪), especially near the National Chengchi University (國立政治大學), the overall experience deteriorates with the repeated necessity of cycling for longer or shorter sections on busy roads.

  Given the ease of access, it is remarkable the level of insulation from the city that these trails can offer. Because most of the crowds will be in areas of the trail accessible by car, the relatively long linking sections are virtually deserted of traffic, even on weekends.
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